Fashion Masterworks @ The Met This Fall
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer
With the overwhelming success in 2016 of the Metropolitan Museum Anna Wintour Costume Institute’s “Manus x Machina:Fashion in an Age of Technology”, it seems only logical that the museum would continue its focus on fashion all the way through the rest of this year. This exhibition itself is extended through September 5, 2016 where in
the past, exhibitions of this kind only ran through the beginning of August. However, the procession of visitors is still going strong.
Met Facebook page
Each year, an annual fashion exhibition, debuting to coincide with the famous celebrity-filled Met Gala, is displayed for 3+ months and draws record crowds of fashion enthusiasts, eager to see the how history and fashion are linked. The attendee statistics are staggering. In 2011, “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” attracted 661,509 visitors. In 2015, the exhibition, “China: Through The Looking Glass” attendance was even more impressive with 815,992 visitors who were interested in seeing China’s influence on modern-day fashion. In fact, the popularity was so impactful that a documentary on preparing for the Met Gala in 2015 ,and, all that went into making this particular exhibition a success, was one of the opening films at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. The film goes behind the scenes to reveal all the time and effort that go into the creation of both the opulent ball and the preparation of the 2015 exhibition for the public to enjoy. The documentary was called ‘The First Monday In May.’ (https://tribecafilm.com/stories/2016-tribeca-film-festival-to-open-with-met-gala-doc-the-first-monday-in-may-costume-institute)
The Metropolitan Museum, in collaboration with the Costume Institute, is now proud to present a new fashion exhibition premiering on November 8, 2016 and continuing through February 5, 2017. The exhibition, ‘Masterworks:Unpacking Fashion’ will delve into a different part of fashion to unveil the mystery behind many of the Met’s fashion exhibitions. Focus is put on the collection and acquisition process of all the masterworks that have been on display at the museum over the years.
Featured will be iconic works by designers, such as Halston, that have made their mark on fashion, literally changing the course of history as it relates to our form of dress and decadence. These designers have advanced fashion as a true art form. The transition over the last seven decades has been magnificent enough to receive its own exhibition. Visitors will be able to view over 60 of the famous museum masterworks, ranging from the early 18th century to present day. Moving from one piece to the next, the presentation which will be held in the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery, goes in chronological order, allowing viewers to witness how it all begins when the Costume Institute receives the packing crates on palettes, recreated as you move along to each different work of art. Stopping at each one, attendees will be given an in-depth explanation of the significance each piece bears on the history of fashion. You can look forward to checking out over 35,000 costumes and accessories. Other surprises include a 2015 John Galliano for Maison Margiela dress, a 1980s Halston gown and a 2010 Viktor & Rolf ball gown. The exhibit will also include a black embroidered dress designed by Karl Lagerfeld for his very first Chanel collection. The Carl and Iris Barrel Apfel Gallery will feature some of the ensembles donated by designers in honor of Harold Koda upon his retirement as curator in charge of The Costume Institute in January 2016.
John Galliano Maison Margiela, Google Images
“Our mission is to present fashion as a living art that interprets history, becomes part of the historical process and inspires subsequent art,” said chief curator, Andrew Bolton, in a statement. “Over the seven decades since The Costume Institute became part of The Met in 1946, our collecting strategy has shifted from creating a collection of Western high fashion that is encyclopedic in breadth to one focused on acquiring a body of masterworks.”
‘Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion’ will take place in the Anna Wintour Costume Center at the Metropolitan Museum located at 1000 Fifth Avenue in New York City (www.metmuseum.org) from November 8, 2016 through February 5, 2017. The exhibition is organized by assistant curator Jessica Regan. The museum staff welcomes visitors to see this exhibition seven days a week aside from Thanksgiving Day, December 25, January 1, and the first Monday in May.
Famous Halston Gown, Google Images
Andrew Bolton and Anna Wintour, Photo: Andrew Toth
Ball Gown, Viktor & Rolf (Dutch, founded 1993), spring/summer 2010; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2011 (2011.8). Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Anna-Marie Kellen
