Stars arrive for Met Gala as protesters target Jeff Bezos

By Kate Skelly, Daniel Cole and Jenna Zucker

NEW YORK, May 4 (Reuters) – Celebrities including singers Sam Smith and Doja Cat and actress Nicole Kidman made their entrances Monday at the Met Gala, the fashion world’s most coveted invitation, as protesters bashed billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ sponsorship of the event.

His wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, was among the first celebrities to arrive at Monday’s event, an annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute that has become known for its extravagant fashion and high-profile guests.

The couple are among the event’s main sponsors with a donation reported by media outlets at $10 million and were named honorary chairs, which led to calls for a boycott over wealth inequality and workers’ rights.

Outside the museum, protesters in colorful outfits held letters spelling out “tax the rich” and banners reading “resistance red carpet” and “eat the rich”.

Stars expected to attend include Rihanna, Beyonce, Venus Williams and Kim Kardashian. Tickets cost $100,000 each but most celebrities attend as guests.

Among the early arrivals to pose for photographers were internet personalities Emma Chamberlain, in a skin-tight dress with sleeves that hung to the floor, and La La Anthony, whose dress dripped with jewels.

This year’s dress code, “Fashion is Art” invited guests to treat the body as a canvas.

French social media personality Lena Mahfouf wore a sculptured bodice shaped like two silver hands and a flowing skirt.

Another eye-catching moment was the arrival of actress Gwendoline Christie who donned a long red gown, feathered headpiece and lifelike mask.

(Writing by Costas Pitas and Kate Skelly; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)