Lauren Sánchez Bezos arrived at the Met Gala on Monday night sans her very notable plus one.
Jeff Bezos did not walk the iconic Met steps at this year’s event, despite the fact that he and his wife are honorary chairs for fashion‘s biggest night. And the duo is not only appearing alongside co-chairs Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour at the helm of the evening, but is also sponsoring both the Met Gala and the accompanying spring Costume Institute exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Bezos and Sánchez previously walked the carpet together at the 2024 gala, and the tech mogul has been in attendance a handful of other years as well.
Sánchez Bezos — dressed in custom Schiaparelli — was among the first arrivals, posing for photos solo as she helped open the carpet alongside Kidman and Wintour. Per her rep, the inspiration behind the gown is the story of Sargent’s Madame X, and how a small detail, like the fallen jeweled strap, once sparked such strong public reaction.
It was also revealed that, timed to the Met Gala, the Bezos Earth Fund, which Lauren serves as the vice chair of, announced that it was awarding $34 million in grants to institutions studying and developing materials that may one day replace polyester and cotton, including biodegradable textile fiber and plastic-free synthetic silk, among other alternatives.
There has been public pushback in recent weeks surrounding the Bezos’ involvement in the Met Gala, as critics accused the billionaire of buying influence with the major event and speculation swirled that some stars may boycott the event due to his involvement. It’s likely that Bezos just opted to skip the carpet photos and will meet up with his wife inside the event, rather than skipping it entirely, but he has not yet been spotted.
The 2026 Met Gala theme and associated exhibition is “Costume Art,” which “examines the centrality of the dressed body throughout time and culture, juxtaposing garments and works of art from across the Museum’s vast collection to create pairings that highlight the indivisible connection between clothing and the body,” per The Met.
The Gala Host Committee is co-chaired by Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz, with members including Adut Akech, Angela Bassett, Sinéad Burke, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Alex Consani, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Paloma Elsesser, Rebecca Hall, LISA, Chloe Malle, Aimee Mullins, Tschabalala Self, Amy Sherald, Sam Smith, Chase Sui Wonders, Teyana Taylor, Lauren Wasser, Anna Weyant, A’ja Wilson and Yseult.
See all the celebrity looks here, and catch up on all of The Hollywood Reporter‘s Met Gala coverage here.
