Demonstrators participate in a ‘Resistance Red Carpet’ protest against the Met Gala in New York on Monday.Bing Guan/Reuters
Celebrities including singers Sam Smith and Doja Cat and actress Nicole Kidman made their entrances Monday at the Met Gala, the fashion world’s most coveted invitation, as protesters bashed billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ sponsorship of the event.
His wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, was among the first celebrities to arrive at Monday’s event, an annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute that has become known for its extravagant fashion and high-profile guests.
The couple are among the event’s main sponsors with a donation reported by media outlets at US$10-million and were named honorary chairs, which led to calls for a boycott over wealth inequality and workers’ rights.
Met Gala guests from Katy Perry to Nicole Kidman flaunt their fashion
Outside the museum, protesters in colourful outfits held letters spelling out “tax the rich” and banners reading “resistance red carpet” and “eat the rich.”
Stars expected to attend include Rihanna, Beyoncé, Venus Williams and Kim Kardashian. Tickets cost US$100,000 each but most celebrities attend as guests.
Among the early arrivals to pose for photographers were internet personalities Emma Chamberlain, in a skin-tight dress with sleeves that hung to the floor, and La La Anthony, whose dress dripped with jewels.
This year’s dress code, “Fashion is Art” invited guests to treat the body as a canvas.
A man is detained after trying to enter the venue with a protest sign during the Met Gala.Brendan McDermid/Reuters
French social media personality Lena Mahfouf wore a sculptured bodice shaped like two silver hands and a flowing skirt.
Another eye-catching moment was the arrival of actress Gwendoline Christie who donned a long red gown, feathered headpiece and lifelike mask.