Morwenna Ferrier

Tonight's glitzy Met Gala in New York will be co-chaired by Jeff Bezos, drawing condemnation and calls for a boycott.

Why has Anna Wintour turned the fashion gala into a tech bro ball?

From the Guardians today on Focus, this is the latest with me, Lucy Hoth.

Well, I'm joined by Moana Ferrier, the Guardian's fashion and lifestyle editor.

Thanks so much for dialing in, Moana.

No problem.

So this evening, there is this hotly anticipated, I mean, it's like this blockbuster moment in the fashion calendar, isn't it?

The Met Gala in New York, which is hosted by Anna Wintour, formerly the editor of Vogue, now in a sort of

oversight role at Condé Nast the publishing company but this year's gala is drawing controversy for the sponsorship and attendance of Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez what's going on in terms of that relationship and why this is happening?

I mean, Moena, in so many ways, Jeff Bezos needs no introduction, but obviously is in many ways emblematic of the toxicity of this tech bro billionaire class.

The reported working conditions at Amazon, where he made his initial fortune.

His recent purchase of The Washington Post, which has led to mass layoffs of hundreds of journalists there.

His support, his close ties with the Trump administration, his initial donation of $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, his attendance along with other journalists.

tech giants of the inauguration itself and his funding through Amazon Studios of a documentary in inverted commas about Trump's wife Melania that has proved highly controversial.

So the fact that this man with his wife are not just attending but co-chairing and sponsoring an event like the Met Gala speaks to something politically, doesn't it?

Well, one person we know has said no is Soran Mamdani, the new mayor of New York.

And it is interesting the optics of this, as you say, these sort of by an event that by definition is so elitist happening in a city which has just voted in a socialist progressive mayor who has decided to boycott the event along with his wife for the first time.

Putting the politics aside, I mean, this was originally a fashion event organised by the most powerful woman in the fashion industry, who's been this sort of gatekeeper of taste for so many decades now.

I mean, I think it's safe to say Jeff Bezos is not renowned for his great sense of style.

And the gala itself is being described as a tech bro ball, given that