'Devil Wears Prada' Designer Slams Lauren Sánchez’s Met Gala Dress: 'How Did She Make Schiaparelli Look So Cheap?'

The Met Gala red carpet is built on spectacle, but this year, one of fashion’s most recognizable insiders turned her attention to a look she felt missed the mark, and she didn’t mince words.

Molly Rogers, the Emmy-winning costume designer behind S-- and the City and The Devil Wears Prada, delivered a blunt critique of Lauren Sánchez Bezos’ custom Schiaparelli gown, asking, “How did she make Schiaparelli look so cheap?!”

The comment, made during an appearance on a panel at Fashionphile in New York, echoed online criticism that Sánchez’s navy-blue, corseted gown failed to live up to the avant-garde reputation of the French couture house.

Sánchez, who attended the gala as both honorary chair and co-sponsor alongside husband Jeff Bezos, wore a custom Schiaparelli design featuring a bodycon corseted bodice, deep neckline, and jeweled off-the-shoulder straps. According to Sánchez, the look was developed in collaboration with creative director Daniel Roseberry and stylist Law Roach.

“We discussed what I like to wear and my personality, and then Daniel molded it into the design,” she told Vogue, noting she specifically asked for a cinched waist

Detractors argued that instead of embracing the gala’s “Fashion Is Art” theme with something more experimental, Sánchez leaned into a familiar silhouette she frequently favors.

The dress drew inspiration from John Singer Sargent’s Madame X, a painting once considered scandalous for its fallen shoulder strap. While the historical reference added context, it didn’t shield the look from scrutiny.

For observers of celebrity culture, the intense reaction is less surprising than it may seem. Dr. Lillian Glass, a body language expert, sees moments like this as part of a broader pattern.

“The celebs have a say in what they choose to wear. The more bizarre the fashion, the more they are noticed and spoken about in the press and the more they are remembered,” she explained. “It’s their attempt to remain in the public eye and be relevant.”

Glass also pushed back on the idea that Sánchez — or the Bezos sponsorship more broadly — fundamentally changed the event’s fashion dynamic.

“This event was no different than previous American Gala events that Anna Wintour hosted,” she noted. “There is just more attention and controversy because now the Bezoses were involved.”

Rogers’ critique didn’t stop at the dress itself. She also took aim at the broader event, praising a protester outside the gala as embodying the night’s “real artistry,” and adding, “I would not have gone,” expressing disappointment in those who attended.

Her comments reflect a growing overlap between fashion critique and cultural commentary, particularly as this year’s gala faced backlash tied to its high-profile sponsors.

Still, whether celebrated or scrutinized, Met Gala looks — and the reactions to them — remain impossible to ignore.