Meet the Met Gala’s populist cousin: the Debt Gala raising funds to erase medical debt

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 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...