Socialite Julie Macklowe slams Anna Wintour’s Met Gala and critiques its shift to influencers

New York City socialite Julie Macklowe is breaking one of the biggest rules of the Met Gala: criticizing Anna Wintour's prestigious event.

Page Six has learned that in a forthcoming episode of Joe Pardavila’s “Good Listen” podcast, former hedge fund manager Macklowe will criticise the Met Gala, often called the “Oscars of Fashion,” describing it as “generally a giant s**t show” lacking in star quality.

According to Macklowe, the event used to attract more socialites and business figures, but now it is dominated by influencers. “More like real, A-list celebrities. Now it has become much more influencers. Half the people who go there, I don’t even know who they are. And it feels like everyone’s just trying to dress naked at this point,” she explains.

Macklowe’s comments come as a bit of a surprise considering her own past Vogue appearance, where she was featured naked in a May 2014 ad for her skincare line, vbeauté.

The Met Gala has hosted numerous celebrities over the years, including Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Blake Lively, Sarah Jessica Parker, the Kardashian/Jenner family, Anne Hathaway, Timothée Chalamet, and Beyoncé and Jay-Z. It also welcomes socialites like Elyse Newhouse and Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, along with influencers such as Addison Rae, Dixie D’Amelio, Emma Chamberlain, and Madison Beer.

Macklowe, married to affluent developer Billy Macklowe and the daughter-in-law of billionaire real estate mogul Harry Macklowe and art collector Linda Macklowe, hasn’t attended the gala since 2019. She recalls a memorable moment from that year’s “Camp” themed event when she had a boozy encounter with Jeff Bezos.

“I was standing in line and Jeff Bezos was literally right next to me. He’s like, ‘What is in that flask? And can I have a sip?’ I’m like, ‘I have whiskey in my flask.’ So, he had a sip from my flask.”

Macklowe also owns a single-malt whiskey brand named after herself.