Do tech executives have more power than Anna Wintour at the Met Gala?

Anna Wintour deserves the title of “papa of fashion”. editor-in-chief of Vogue: Since 1988, an American woman, artistic director of the Condé Nast group, is also the organizer of the Met Gala. This New York social event, previously reserved for high society, was taken over by an American journalist in 1995 and turned into an inexplicable annual meeting for fashion and show business. Every first Monday in May, the most followed celebrities on social media meet on the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, all dressed in extravagant outfits that must respect the imposed theme. 2023 was a huge success. The Met Ball, in memory of Karl Lagerfeld, raised nearly $22 million.

Because yes, the Met Gala is not free. this year’s entry ticket costs $75,000 (about €69,565), or $25,000 more than the previous edition. Then, in order to sit at the table, it is necessary to add no less than 350 thousand dollars. But all this in no way guarantees the opportunity to come, only Anna Wintour’s final consent gives access to the most private fashion evening on the planet.

On the importance of tech giants

At the moment, everything suggests that Anna Wintour is the undisputed queen of this ceremony. However, that is far from the truth. In this elite realm, a group of businessmen, most of them billionaires and tech moguls, wear the Met Gala thread. And have as much, if not more, power than the boss Vogue: The USA will “cut” them at any time. This year, the lavish gala is sponsored by two “honorary presidents”: Jonathan Anderson, artistic director of the luxury house Loewe, and Zhou Ziqiu, CEO of TikTok. Agreed New York Post The Singaporean businessman signed a deal with the Met Gala after the US Congress passed a law on April 23 that would force Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok to prevent the app from being banned in the US. Finding another sponsor would be a possible solution, but difficult to accept when you imagine the size of the check the Chinese company could offer.

Because where there is technology, there is usually money. We remember that in 2012, Amazon sponsored the Met Gala. Its boss, Jeff Bezos, one of the richest people on the planet, walked the red carpet accompanied by his ex-wife, Mackenzie Bezos. It’s enough to confirm the online sales giant’s entry into fashion… and its business. By: New York TimesJeff Bezos will return for the 2024 edition with his co-star Lauren Sanchez. A couple who, let’s remember, offered to shoot themselves in the pages Vogue: American at the end of 2023.

Meanwhile at Condé Nast…

If there’s no shortage of money to sail the Met Gala, another ship is losing steam: Condé Nast. For several months now, the press group, whose global content is responsible for Anna Wintour since 2020, has been living through a crisis period. magazine in January Big forkAcquired by Condé Nast in 2015, it merged with the men’s magazine GQ:, leading to a complete overhaul of teams accompanied by layoffs. On January 23, no fewer than 400 journalists and union employees of the American group went on strike to oppose the layoff plan, which aims to lay off “5% of its teams, or about 300 people,” it recalls. Le Figaro .

It’s enough to infuriate Anna Wintour’s co-workers, like journalist Alison Hussey, music and culture expert. A few months ago, he announced on X that he had been fired by Anna Wintour, hiding behind his usual pair of sunglasses, which he hadn’t bothered to remove. Since then, there have been rumors, noises, editors with loudspeakers – the small hands of the American company are furious. Many of them, anonymous or former employees, have come together under the Condé Nast Union group to express their displeasure, particularly online via an Instagram account.

All this without leaving many problems. In 2020, Condé Nast Vice President Matt Dacour was forced to resign after staff accused him of racism. That same year, the group’s head of entertainment, Oren Katzeff, was singled out for his offensive tweets against Mexicans and women. So many events that only tarnished the image of the press group… And in the process, its leaders.