Fashion’s biggest night delivered both spectacle and cash flow. Beyoncé returned after a decade to co‑host the Met Gala, arriving with daughter Blue Ivy—a rare minor appearance that sparked buzz. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez funded the Costume Institute exhibition, while activist protests targeted the event’s financing. Tickets sold for $100,000 each, pushing total takings to a reported $42 million, eclipsing last year’s record in New York.

Designers used the “Fashion Is Art” theme to blur gallery and runway. Iris van Herpen draped Eileen Gu in a gown of 15,000 glass beads that released bubbles, while Yves Saint Laurent’s sponsor‑backed look on Connor Storrie featured an exposed‑shoulder shirt that leaned into gender‑fluid tailoring. Heidi Klum committed fully, sculpting a marble‑statue costume that embodied the exhibition’s artistic ambition.

Beyond aesthetics, the gala’s economics matter to sponsors and the museum’s budget. With ticket prices $25,000 higher than 2023, the event secured a $42 million haul, reinforcing the Met’s reliance on billionaire patronage. Meanwhile, city officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, faced criticism for skipping the party to highlight garment‑worker issues, underscoring the growing tension between luxury events and labor activism.