Met Museum’s ‘Costume Art’ Blends Fashion with Fine Art

A unifying theme of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s blockbuster fashion exhibitions has always been the idea that fashion is art. The Met has long celebrated the artistry of clothing, and its upcoming show takes this concept to an even more immersive level.

Launching alongside the star-studded 2026 Met Gala, the new exhibition “Costume Art” aims to make the connection between fashion and art more literal than ever. The show will pair garments with objects from across the museum, demonstrating how fashion has long been intertwined with different art forms, from paintings and sculptures to drawings and decorative arts.

Max Hollein, CEO and Director of the Met, said in an interview that the exhibition will take visitors on a “fashionable journey through art history,” highlighting connections across various mediums.

“It’s a show that can really live in fascinating ways at the museum and can pull from all different areas of our collection,” Hollein said.

According to the Costume Institute’s curator Andrew Bolton, the exhibition will be organized thematically by different body types. Sections will include the "Naked Body," "Classical Body," and less expected categories like the "Pregnant Body" and "Aging Body," showcasing the diverse ways bodies are represented in both fashion and art.

One striking example comes from the "Naked Body" section. A 1504 print by German artist Albrecht Dürer will be paired with 2009 spandex bodysuits by Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck, which revisit the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This pairing exemplifies the show’s concept of connecting historical art with contemporary fashion design.

Ballerina Misty Copeland, who recently retired from the American Ballet Theatre, spoke about the interplay between fashion and dance. She emphasized that the exhibition makes a “powerful case for the body, in all its forms, as a work of art, worthy of being seen, elevated, and celebrated.”

“Both fashion and dance have long upheld an ‘ideal’ body, often thin, white, and female,” Copeland said. “Being a Black woman and a ballerina was presented almost as a contradiction. I stood firmly in the value and beauty of my body, and of the many Black and brown dancers whose bodies have been overlooked.”

The exhibition will open to the public on May 10 in its new home, the Conde M. Nast Galleries, which span 12,000 square feet (1,115 square meters) near the museum’s Great Hall. The move to this new space aims to give fashion a more prominent home and to improve visitor experience by avoiding congestion and long lines that previously spilled into other galleries.

Hollein explained that the new galleries will host not only upcoming spring Costume Institute exhibitions but also shows from other parts of the museum, allowing for a more integrated visitor experience.

Bolton described the new gallery as “a pivotal moment for the department, acknowledging the critical role fashion plays not only within art history but also within contemporary culture.”

As the Met Gala on May 4 approaches, A-list attendees will have a unique opportunity to experience this innovative exhibit just steps from the event itself, bridging the worlds of high fashion, celebrity culture, and the museum’s artistic legacy.