Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos were announced as the lead donors for “Costume Art,” the 2026 spring exhibit at The Met’s Costume Institute and the theme for its annual Met Gala benefit.
Met Gala 2026 Theme Revealed
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos have prime billing for the 2026 Met Gala.
Indeed, the Amazon founder and his wife are the primary donors helping to fund “Costume Art,” the spring 2026 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and the theme for next year’s event, according to Vogue’s Nov. 17 announcement.
As the museum’s annual benefit, the Met Gala is the Costume Institute’s “primary source of funding for all activities,” with next year’s May 4 event preceding the May 10 opening of the exhibit.
Though the first Monday in May typically hosts prominent fashion houses as its primary sponsor—Louis Vuitton was the lead sponsor for the 2025 ball—the Anna Wintour-led event has welcomed wealthy donors in the past, like businessman Stephen A. Schwarzman and his wife Christine Schwarzman in 2018.
Jeff and Lauren—who tied the knot in June—first attended the Met Gala together in 2024, while the Amazon CEO previously went to the event in 2012 with his then-wife Mackenzie Bezos.
Though it remains to be seen how the 2026 Met Gala will be influenced by the couple’s new role, the “Costume Art” curator in charge Andrew Bolton shared his thoughts on the upcoming exhibit.
“It’s a huge moment for the Costume Institute,” he told Vogue. “It will be transformative for our department, but I also think it’s going to be transformative to fashion more generally—the fact that an art museum like The Met is actually giving a central location to fashion.”
Kevin Mazur/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
The focus of the exhibit and gala will be on “the centrality of the dressed body” since “what connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion.”
“It’s the common thread throughout the whole museum,” Andrew continued, “which is really what the initial idea for the exhibition was, this epiphany: the dressed body is front and center in every gallery you come across.”
As he noted, “Even the nude is never naked. It’s always inscribed with cultural values and ideas.”
Ahead of next year’s Met Gala, read on to look back at all the stars who were dressed to the nines at this year’s event.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Rihanna
In custom Marc Jacobs.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
A$AP Rocky
In custom Awge, Bvlgari jewelry and Briony Raymond umbrella.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Zendaya
In custom Louis Vuitton.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Serena Williams
In custom Moncler x EE72 by Edward Enninful and Fred Leighton jewelry.
Jamie McCarthy / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Kim Kardashian
In custom Chrome Hearts.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Halle Berry
In LaQuan Smith.
Jamie McCarthy / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Sabrina Carpenter
In custom Louis Vuitton.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Colman Domingo
In Valentino with Boucheron jewelry.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Kylie Jenner
In custom Ferragamo.
Dia Dipasupil / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Cardi B
In Burberry.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Hailey Bieber
In custom Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
John Shearer / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES
Cynthia Erivo
In custom Givenchy.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Kendall Jenner
In Torishéju.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Gigi Hadid
In custom Miu Miu.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Sydney Sweeney
In custom Miu Miu.
Jamie McCarthy / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
In Thom Browne.
Dia Dipasupil / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Callum Turner & Dua Lipa
In custom Chanel.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Miley Cyrus
In Alaïa.
Dia Dipasupil / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Shakira
In custom Prabal Gurung.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Nicole Kidman
In custom Balenciaga Couture and Wolford tights.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Chappell Roan
In a custom look sourced by Paul Tazewell.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Megan Thee Stallion
In custom Michael Kors Collection and Stuart Weitzman shoes.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Pamela Anderson
In Tory Burch.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Halle Bailey
In Coach.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Charli XCX
In custom Ann Demeulemeester.
John Shearer/WireImage
Doja Cat
In custom Marc Jacobs and Wolford tights.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Anne Hathaway
In Carolina Herrera.
Michael Loccisano/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
Diana Ross
In Ugo Mozie.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Lorde
In Thom Browne.
Jamie McCarthy / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Demi Moore
In custom Thom Browne.
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