The Met Gala where haute couture meets high society used to be the unmissable event of the New York social calendar. No more, as scantily and bizarrely dressed trash celebrities and z-listers turned it into a giant flop with new sponsors and co-chairs Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sanchez getting most of the heat.
The icy Anna Wintour, Vogue editor until 2025 and a leading light heretofore for the Gala, spoke highly of Bezos and wife, but with her Solar Arc Saturn square her Mars for a major setback at the moment she may be regretting her decision. Bezos’ ambitious Sun Mars in Capricorn is conjunct her Jupiter which would boost her hopes and finances. But his Uranus Pluto sitting on her Mars Saturn might have been a warning.
Wintour, 3 November 1949, is a Sun Scorpio with an innovative trine to Uranus – and Mars Saturn in workaholic, critical Virgo.
Bezos, 12 January 1964 in NM, US, has tr Saturn moving to conjunct his Jupiter in Aries in the final ten days of this month which will damp his confidence; with even greater sinking feelings in 2027 from his Solar Arc Neptune conjunct his Sun and SA Pluto conjunct his Neptune.
His wife, Lauren Sanchez, 19 December 1969 NM, US, an upfront and exuberant Sun and Venus in Sagittarius has Jupiter in money-magnet Scorpio in an up-and-down opposition to Saturn; and an earthy Taurus Moon. She has her Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct her Sun at the moment for a confidence high but ahead will hit a major setback in late 2027/28 and disappointment by 2030.
Their relationship chart is focused on fashion-and-beauty (surface appearances) with an emphasised composite Venus Jupiter on the focal point of a trine between Saturn and Neptune; and trine Uranus Pluto.
Their wedding chart of 26 June 2025 in Venice, Italy, showed a complex mix of high confidence with a Sun Jupiter conjunction in Cancer though that squared Saturn Neptune in Aries – which might have suggested that charitable good deeds could have been a better way to go. What was more problematic were two yods onto Pluto and Mars respectively – which would certainly point to an influential, power-couple, though also a degree of ruthlessness and a tendency to attract hostility ahead.
The first Met Gala was held sometime in December 1948 when Jupiter was in early Capricorn so being undercut by tr Neptune Saturn in Aries at the moment.
The mission of the Met Gala (like it or loathe it) is to raise funds for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum. Film companies and music labels, sponsor the invited stars by buying a ticket. This year an individual ticket was $75,000 and a table was $350,000. It’s taking wealth from the rich, having fun with the costumes and promoting designers and fashion houses and raising funding. This year was the most successful year ever for the charity, it raised $42million. This money usually goes towards costume acquisitions, keeping the place open and exhibitions. The Costume Institute has to be entirely self-sufficient. With the extra funding, this will go towards restoring and repairing some of the costumes.
There was an awkward divide this year between the Bezos and Wife and the selected chairs of the gala and Anna. I noticed it when she was being interviewed and talked about “our special co-chairs”. There was a discomfort with them rolling into this ground. I wonder about the Met’s future if they are rolling in and Anna is being pushed out. We see this in the Washington Post and his other businesses. The people successfully running and directing these institutions are pushed out for mega-millionaires, who have no experience with them or interest if they just end.
The painting The Temptation of St Anthony by Leonora Carrington was painted in 1945 after the war ended. Madonna collects South American Female Surrealists and is rumoured to own this painting (she also has a lot of Kahlo in her personal collection). Some Madonna fans speculate the costume was a protest, the original has anti-capitalist and patriarchy themes as well as anti-war. Perhaps it was a subtle and deliberate choice.
Whilst it made money this year, a lot of fashion commentators wrote about how many of the celebs didn’t seem to nail the theme which was “Costume Art”. The inside Met costume exhibition for this year has dressed sculptures about the body and history and art, not many really reflected that. This year felt like a big power struggle behind the scenes.
I always feel this is an event connected to the current astrology. I remember in 2021, on the night the sun was opposite Neptune and Kim Kardashian wore an outfit all in black, even her head and face. She was like a phantom or void of darkness.
Thank you Marjorie. As a bit of a corrective to my previous comment, Shannon Almeida’s current substack Sprezzatura highlights the fabulously creative workmanship of the Indian men and women guests’ costumes, but the MSM are not too interested in that. Also worth a peek, Gustav Magnar Witzoe, a young Norwegian billionaire ($4.4 billion) wearing a multi pearled shaded skeleton suit by designer Robert Wun who dressed 8 guests at the Gala. Wun’s clothes are ‘sculptural statements rather than mere attire’, mesmerising and theatrical. Definitely not for trotting round the corner to Tesco!
An added thought on Madonna: Madonna’s costume was, apparently, inspired by a painting The Temptation of St Anthony by Leonora Carrington. St Anthony is the patron saint of lost causes, which Madonna would very likely be aware of, having a Catholic background. The Met Gala – a lost cause?
There are similar galleon head dresses in 18th century fashion – notably in the costume display for ‘Robe a la Francaise’ dated 1762-7.
Yes, VF, Masque of the Red Death is entirely appropriate!
I’ve spotted another macabre costume – Madonna, dressed in gothic black with an enormous
head-dress made to look like an 18th century galleon in full sail. ‘Woman in Black’ meets the Flying Dutchman. The story of the spectral ship and its doomed crew, plus the sacrificial redemption of ‘true love’ seems to show Neptune’s themes, plus Pluto’s realms. A number of less dramatic costumes reference Sargent’s ‘Madame X’ too, a stunning painting with faintly vampiric or femme fatale overtones.
The whole thing echoes with last days of Versailles kind of vibes. And Pluto in Aquarius approaches, as it did back then.
It increasingly reminds me of Poe’s ‘Masque of the Red Death’.
The met gala is just grotesque. It should be dissolved or cancelled.
It’s been a creep show for years. Not even frivolity or vanity.
It’ll end up in some banquet hall next to the kitchen, where it belongs.
Thanks Marjorie. What a creepy image that is! She’s a ghost, a cemetery statue, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. Interesting that Beyonce’s Mexican Day of the Dead skeleton costume also echoes this theme – Pluto, Neptune, Saturn? I haven’t studied the costumes for this Met Gala, but wonder if there are any other sinister examples? A visual message hinting at the end of this particular iteration of the Gala? The original 1948 private midnight dinner seems a world away, but suppose that version didn’t raise enough money.
I don’t think it had to do as much with how much money as with the fact that at the time the monied class was private and exclusive. It only became what it is today not that long ago- and was not that far from reality tv and internet became a way to expose and exploit, peoples brand. New money is much more about flash and influencer vibes. The arts and old money used to be for wealthy, educated old family names. Things have changed.