Met Gala 2026: The Bezos Backlash, Devil Wears Prada 2, and What It All Means for Anna Wintour
About this episode
Amy Odell and Chantal Fernandez discuss the implications of the 2026 Met Gala, focusing on key figures and themes surrounding the event.
The 2026 Met Gala has three storylines running at once: Jeff and Lauren Bezos as lead sponsors, The Devil Wears Prada 2 opening the Friday before, and Anna Wintour doing more press than she has in years. Amy sits down with Chantal Fernandez of The Cut to break down all of it — plus predictions for the night. 0:00 Intro — Why This Met Gala Is Different 1:14 - Meet Chantal Fernandez 5:42 The Theme: "Costume Art" & What It Actually Means 8:01 - The Real Story Nobody's Covering: The New Costume Institute Galleries 10:17 - How Met Gala Exhibitions Became Museum Blockbusters 12:35 - How Themes Actually Get Chosen (and Who Funds Them) 14:02 - Anna's Role: Making Exhibitions Commercial 19:00 - Why the Met Gala Gets More Criticism Than the Oscars 21:14 - What Brands Actually Get Out of Spending $350K on a Table 24:26 - Can You Even Boycott the Met Gala? 28:06 - Lauren Sanchez, Schiaparelli & the New Ultra-Rich Aesthetic 30:16 - Breaking Down the NYT Lauren Sanchez Profile 32:56 - Graydon Carter's Perfect Quote 40:14 - Fashion Is Losing Power — and the Bezoses Are a Symptom 44:01 - Anna's Devil Wears Prada 2 Marketing Blitz: Smart or a Mistake? 49:19 - Predictions for Met Gala Night 52:49…
People in this episode
Host: Amy Odell
Guest: Chantal Fernandez
Topics covered
- Met Gala 2026
- fashion criticism
- Anna Wintour
- The Devil Wears Prada 2
- celebrity sponsorship
- cultural commentary
Sponsors
beehiiv
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Cut, Schiaparelli, New York Times
Books & works: The Devil Wears Prada 2
More episodes of Back Row with Amy Odell
- Why 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Is More Accurate Than You Think, with Rachel Tashjian [TEASER]
- Met Gala 2026 Recap: Beyoncé, the Bezos Backlash, Kim Kardashian, and Vogue's Silence
- There Is No More Cerulean
- The Fraught History of Naming Celebrities 'World's Most Beautiful'
- 12 Ultra-Rich People Opened Up About What Money Did to Them
- Why Anna Wintour Did the 'Vogue' Cover
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Back Row with Amy Odell podcast page.