Inspired by Met Gala, offbeat BK event raises money for medical debt relief
May 8, 2024 James Pollars, Associated Press
Debt Gala co-founders, from left, Molly Gaebe, Tom Costello and Amanda Corday, appear at the Debt Gala in Brooklyn on Sunday, May 5, 2024. Photos: James Pollard/AP
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GOWANUS — A plush octopus by Jellycat. A neck pillow by XpresSpa. Graphic sleeping masks by Geyoga.
The accessories weren’t designer. But these cozy, low-budget pieces stood out Sunday at the second Debt Gala, where some 200 pajama-clad revelers dressed for its “Sleeping Baddies” theme raised over $15,000 for medical bill relief. Hosted at the Bell House in Brooklyn one night before the Met Gala, the populist benefit’s thrifty getups and raunchy comedy routines marked a far cry from its glitzy, star-studded inspiration that collects millions of dollars annually for the renowned art museum’s costume department.
It’s one of several alternative galas that have recently emerged around the city with hopes to democratize the exclusive springtime fundraiser’s spectacle and leverage its fanfare to highlight other causes. Brooklyn Public Library revived its People’s Ball in 2022 as an inclusive declaration of fashion’s existence among “the everyday New Yorker.”