Met Gala fans have finally received word of the dress code for this year’s event – but some noticed a major sponsor was left out of the announcement on Instagram.
Some fashion enthusiasts have vowed to boycott the event over Jeff Bezos and wife, Lauren Sanchez, footing the bill, which was not included in Vogue’s Instagram post.
This year’s dress code is ‘fashion is art,’ which will serve as a more specific baseline for guests against the gala’s overall theme of ‘costume art.’
The star-studded guest list includes members of the host committee, such as Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Misty Copeland, Lena Dunham, Angela Bassett, Sam Smith and Chase Sui Wonders.
The New York City museum will pair historical and contemporary garments from the Costume Institute for the exhibition, which will be loosely divided into three categories: the classical body and the nude body, aging bodies and pregnant bodies, and the anatomical body.
But as Vogue Magazine shared the theme on Instagram earlier today, many followers could not help but point out that the lead sponsors were not named anywhere on the social media announcement, despite the post also listing the event’s co-chairmen and host committee.
They were disclosed in a Vogue article as honorary chairs.
The Amazon tycoon, worth an estimated $224.2 billion, and Sanchez have footed most of the bill for the May 4 event.
‘How come the Bezoses aren’t featured? They’re still funding it. Trying to avoid backlash again,’ one person wrote online.
Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez, are largely footing the bill for this year’s Met Gala – but this was not included in Vogue’s announcement today
This year’s dress code is Fashion is Art. It marks the first gala that Anna Wintour will attend in her new role as Vogue’s global creative director and chief content officer for Conde Nast
Another agreed, ‘And powered by Amazon.’
‘I thought it was top Amazon customer,’ someone else joked about the dress code.
Another person seconded, ‘Unfortunately, with the Bezos’ involvement, I’ve lost interest.’
‘Fashion is art… but not political maybe? Since your owner is the Bezos, one of the most questionable billionaires?’ an Instagram user commented.
Someone wrote, ‘Fashion is art. But fashion is also political.’
Others criticized the theme for being too vague.
‘They’re getting vaguer each year for the celebrities to fit the theme easier,’ one person wrote.
Another chimed in, typing, ‘”Fashion is art” is such a broad theme.’
‘CRINGE,’ someone else wrote.
Those that were listed on the announcement included this year’s host committee as well as co-chairmen Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Anthony Vaccarello and Zoe Kravitz, who will help to host the gala.
Vogue’s Instagram account posted a graphic which announced the 2026 Met Gala dress code
The post shared the names of the event’s co-chairmen and host committee
Fans were quick to slam the couple’s involvement on social media as well as to hit out at the theme itself
In November, Anna Wintour responded to criticism surrounding the couple’s role as sponsors in an interview with CNN, telling the outlet that Sanchez is a ‘great lover of costume and obviously of fashion.’
She said that she believes that Sanchez would be a ‘wonderful asset to the museum and the event.’
‘We’re very grateful for her incredible generosity,’ Wintour continued. ‘So we’re thrilled she’s part of the night.’
The decision came months after Sanchez appeared on the cover of Vogue’s June 2025 digital issue, which was all about her lavish Venetian wedding to the Amazon tycoon.
The magazine spread featured behind-the-scenes photos of her wedding and dress fitting, designed by Dolce & Gabbana.
This year’s gala marks the first in Wintour’s new role as Vogue’s global creative director and chief content officer for Conde Nast, with Chloe Malle taking over as head of editorial content for US Vogue.
Malle’s parents are actress Candice Bergen and French filmmaker Louis Malle.
This month, Wintour and Malle made headlines after an awkward moment during a joint interview with The New York Times.
Beyonce, seen here at the Met Gala in 2016, is a co-chairman of this year’s event
The couple has footed most of the bill for the May 4 event with Bezos himself worth an estimated $224.2 billion
This month, Wintour and Malle made headlines when they suffered an awkward moment during a joint interview with The New York Times
In the extensive chat, the pair talked about leading the magazine into its next era, their differing leadership styles, and even Malle’s ‘nepo baby’ criticism.
The seemingly tense moment came about when Times interviewer Jessica Testa asked Malle what she would do if Vogue had the same large budget it once had in the 1990s.
‘I would build a whole new podcast studio, I would pay everyone 30 percent more, I would make sure the social team had more people on it, because they’re working all the time, I would have our app staffed more fully,’ Malle shared.
She added that Vogue has tons of ideas for shoots that would ‘help take people on adventures,’ and that a larger budget would ‘really help’ with that.
However, Wintour did not appear thrilled with that answer, as she appeared to give Malle a withering look from behind her large, signature sunglasses.
‘But to be clear, Jessica, we have a very healthy budget at Vogue, and how we use it and use our resources is constantly changing, depending on the moment,’ Wintour chimed in.
The moment has since gone viral on social media, with many viewers noticing the stark differences between the two editors.
During the interview, Testa also asked the two when they last felt ‘nervous’ – and, again, they had two starkly different responses.
Malle replied that she was nervous just 30 minutes before they sat down for the interview, while Wintour says that she ‘never’ gets nervous.
Since joining the magazine in 2011, Malle has co-hosted Vogue’s weekly fashion and culture podcast, strengthened its newsletters, expanded its wedding coverage, and launched viral hits such as Dogue, a tongue-in-cheek fashion magazine for dogs.
‘At a moment of change both within fashion and outside it, Vogue must continue to be both the standard-bearer and the boundary-pushing leader,’ Wintour said, announcing Malle’s appointment in September.
‘Chloe has proven often that she can find the balance between American Vogue’s long, singular history and its future on the front lines of the new. I am so excited to continue working with her, as her mentor but also as her student, while she leads us and our audiences where we’ve never been before.’
Malle said at the time: ‘Fashion and media are both evolving at breakneck speed, and I am so thrilled – and awed – to be part of that.
‘I also feel incredibly fortunate to still have Anna just down the hall as my mentor.’
