As we all know, the infamous MET Gala had its annual debut this past Monday, which means the newest costume exhibit is being displayed. The 2024 Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s theme is, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” and we could not be more excited. But, before we get into the present, let’s take a look at the past. When did the MET Gala come to be and why is a benefit of such grandeur necessary for a museum as massive as the MET?
Back in 1946, the Museum of Costume Art intertwined with the MET. The new costume department agreed to be the sole proprietor in raising funding, primarily through the help of the rest of the fashion industry. The benefit was created initially as an understated event for New York’s elite and tickets were sold for a measly $50 in comparison to today’s $75,000. Flash forward to today, that tradition is still standing strong. For the last 76 years, the annual fundraising gala has been used to generate the majority of the funds to operate the exhibit, however, it has also now become one of fashion’s biggest nights of the year. The event creates increased amounts of popularity and buzz around the new exhibit and people and celebrities from around the world, show up and show out in support of the museum. Let’s now take a look at what the MET has in store for us this year.
via @metcostumeinstitute on Instagram
This exhibit will be displayed from May 10th, 2024 to September 2nd, 2024, taking guests through, roughly, 220-250 pieces of society’s most breathtaking costumes and outfits. Despite popular belief, the exhibit is not going to be filled with gowns inspired by sweet Aurora. Instead, the exhibit is likened to the classic fairytale because some of the garments are far too fragile to be hung or dressed on manequins, so they are being laid and presented in glass cases, or coffins, much like Sleeping Beauty in the original story. The costumes are currently “slumbering” in the conservation labs under the co-supervision of curator Andrew Bolton, quoted in the Associated Press saying his aim "was to bring garments to museum-goers via the various senses — not just sight but smell, and sound, too.” In essence, he is awakening these pieces and bringing them to the light of a new day.
via Vogue
A key aspect of this exhibit is its immersive nature. As Bolton said, the exhibit will be accompanied by many sites and sounds to bring it to life. The MET’s official website says that this new exhibit “reactivates the sensory capacities of masterworks in the Museum’s collection through first-hand research, conservation analysis, and diverse technologies—from cutting-edge tools of artificial intelligence and computer-generated imagery to traditional formats of x-rays, video animation, light projection, and soundscapes.” In other words, you are going to be transported. The main goal is to bring viewers into the time and place in which the piece would have been worn. Visitors will be able to smell the sweet scents of the florals that decorate hats and dresses or hear the pinging of metals used to create some of history’s most breathtaking pieces.
The beautiful thing about the Costume Institute and its ever-changing exhibits is that they always bring something new to the picture. While not every exhibit may be as big of a hit as the one prior, they still add a new layer of depth and nuance, not only to the fashion world but to art and history as a whole. Fashion is not just the clothes that we wear, but the colors on the canvas of history that paint the story of our lives in a vitalizing way- a theme that is perectly emphasized by the MET and the MET Gala.
By Abigail Moynihan