The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala is set for May 4, and Vogue Magazine has officially revealed the dress code for this year’s event.
The theme, described as “fashion is art,” will serve as a more specific directive for attendees, operating within the gala’s broader overarching theme of “costume art.”
The announcement, shared on Vogue’s official Instagram account, drew immediate attention — not only for the theme itself, but for what was notably absent from the post.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez, are the lead sponsors of this year’s gala.
The couple, identified in a Vogue article as honorary chairs, footed most of the bill for the event.
However, their names did not appear anywhere in the social media announcement.
Bezos has an estimated net worth of $224.2 billion. Despite the scale of the couple’s financial contribution, Vogue’s Instagram post made no reference to their sponsorship.
Social media users quickly took notice. “How come the Bezoses aren’t featured? They’re still funding it. Trying to avoid backlash again,” one commenter wrote.
Another simply added, “And powered by Amazon.”
A third user joked, “I thought it was top Amazon customer,” referencing the event’s dress code announcement.
The comments reflected a broader tension among fashion followers regarding the couple’s involvement.
“Unfortunately, with the Bezos’ involvement, I’ve lost interest,” another person wrote.
One Instagram commenter added, “Fashion is art… but not political maybe? Since your owner is the Bezos, one of the most questionable billionaires?”
Some followers also took aim at the theme itself, calling it overly broad.
“They’re getting vaguer each year for the celebrities to fit the theme easier,” one person wrote.
Another commented, “’Fashion is art’ is such a broad theme.”
A third offered a single word: “CRINGE.”
Vogue’s post did include a list of this year’s co-chairmen and host committee.
Co-chairmen for the evening include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz.
The host committee features Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Misty Copeland, Lena Dunham, Angela Bassett, Sam Smith and Chase Sui Wonders.
The accompanying exhibition at the New York City museum will pair historical and contemporary garments from the Costume Institute.
The exhibition will be loosely organized into three categories: the classical body and the nude body, aging bodies and pregnant bodies, and the anatomical body.
In November, Vogue Editor Anna Wintour addressed criticism of the Bezos sponsorship during an interview with CNN.
Wintour described Sanchez as a “great lover of costume and obviously of fashion,” and said she would be a “wonderful asset to the museum and the event.”
“We’re very grateful for her incredible generosity,” Wintour said.
“So we’re thrilled she’s part of the night.”
Sanchez appeared on the cover of Vogue’s June 2025 digital issue, which centered on her wedding to Bezos in Venice. The magazine spread included behind-the-scenes photographs of the ceremony and Sanchez’s dress fitting, with her gown designed by Dolce & Gabbana.
