The Met Gala this year arrived dressed as something more thoughtful, Costume as Art, but the mood around it had a sharper edge. Outside the museum, there were protests aimed squarely at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez stepping in as honorary co-chairs alongside Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Beyoncé. It made for that familiar New York contrast, a line of flashbulbs on one side, a line of placards on the other, both equally determined to be seen.

Inside, it was business as usual, just on a slightly higher setting. The Met Gala has always been expensive, but 2026 pushed it into a different bracket altogether. A single ticket hit $100,000, up from $75,000 last year. Tables started at $350,000, which is where brands step in, buy their way in, and then decide who gets to sit where.