The Met Gala's pre-game drama overshadowed the actual event before Monday night's gowns even hit the steps. Tom Ford, who rarely appears publicly these days, showed up. Meryl Streep didn't. Billionaires circled the red carpet while various attendees staged boycotts, turning what's meant to be fashion's biggest night into a referendum on who deserves a seat at the table.
The tension pointed to something real happening in high fashion. The event remains a fundraiser for the Costume Institute, but the spectacle has always masked questions about access, wealth, and what it means when a single night becomes the year's most coveted cultural currency. Ford's presence mattered because his absence has become notable. Streep's absence mattered because hers usually doesn't go unnoticed.
The boycotts signaled that some attendees aren't comfortable with the guest list or the institution's politics anymore. The billionaires signaled that money still talks loudest. And everyone else showed up to be photographed in clothes that cost more than most people earn in years.
By Monday night, the narrative had already been written before a single designer dress hit the carpet. The Met Gala isn't about fashion anymore, if it ever truly was. It's about who has power and who gets to decide who matters.