The Met Gala has never shied away from drama, but 2026 is shaping up to be a couture-level plot twist. Anna Wintour, forever the steel-spined guardian of fashion’s biggest night, has officially spoken up about Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos stepping into the spotlight as major players behind the scenes.
Wintour, 76, fresh off stepping down as editor-in-chief of Vogue U.S., didn’t mince words while chatting with CNN. She was clear, calm, and unmistakably Wintour about her support for Sánchez Bezos’ new role: “I think Lauren is going to be a wonderful asset to the museum and to the event. I'm very grateful for her incredible generosity, and she's a great lover of costume and obviously of fashion.”
© Getty ImagesEven though she’s passed her torch to her successor, Chloe Malle, Wintour hasn’t vanished into the clouds of fashion mythology. She remains Vogue’s Global Creative Director and Condé Nast’s Chief Content Officer. And yes, she will still have a say in the 2026 gala. But for the first time in decades, a new editor-in-chief will be sitting in the captain’s seat while celebrities scramble for their pre-approved looks.
Why Bezos’ Role Is Stirring Debate
What’s got the fashion ecosystem murmuring behind their sunglasses is the donor conversation. The Met Gala is famously funded by luxury fashion houses, not tech titans. So when Jeff Bezos stepped into the donor lineup, some eyebrows went way up. The Amazon founder’s political involvement has added fuel to the debate about whether gala money can ever be “neutral,” per People.
Still, Vogue confirmed that Saint Laurent and Condé Nast are also contributing, and the show must go on in full couture force. The 2026 theme, “Costume Art,” will spotlight a fresh exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, running from May 10, 2026, through January 10, 2027.
© Getty Images for WIRED25A Gala Love Story in the Spotlight
As for Bezos and Sánchez Bezos, their Met Gala arc has unfolded as neatly as a red carpet train. They made their debut together at the 2024 Gala, where the dress code was “The Garden of Time,” inspired by J.G. Ballard’s eerie short story. That year’s exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” revived archival garments with modern technology, proving that even fashion loves a resurrection moment.
Now, with Sánchez Bezos stepping deeper into the heart of fashion’s most iconic night, Wintour’s approval feels like a velvet rope swinging wide open. Whether you view the Bezos involvement as refreshing, concerning, or simply inevitable in a world where tech keeps crashing Hollywood’s parties, the 2026 Met Gala is already guaranteed to be a cultural spectacle.
2026 Met Gala Theme
According to the Met’s press release, this exhibition will honor Western art from prehistory all the way to today. Highlighting naked bodies and ancient silhouettes meeting futuristic forms. The museum plans to break everything down into a series of thematic body types, showing how certain shapes and proportions withstand time, culture, and trends.
© Getty Images for The Met Museum/What About the Dress Code?
For now, the 2026 Met Gala dress code remains a mystery. Historically, the dress code is revealed a few months after the theme. But given the hints about the power of the dressed body, it's reasonable to imagine a red carpet full of sculptural silhouettes, artistic illusions, and maybe even some wearable references to iconic works of Western art.
