The Costume Institute’s exhibit at The Met opened this weekend following the conclusion of the Met Gala. This year’s Gala theme, “Fashion is Art,” spanned world history and a number of diverse cultures. But why was this year’s Gala so different, and what do people think about the whole affair, especially as protests against billionaires, exclusivity in fashion, and resistance to workers’ rights are taking place across the country?
The Costume Institute: a legacy of devotion to fashion
The Costume Institute started as The Museum of Costume Art, an independent organization founded by Irene Lewisohn in 1937. In 1946, it merged with The Met and was renamed The Costume Institute, but it didn’t become the curatorial powerhouse we know today until 1959. It currently has 33,000+ pieces of clothing and accessories, as well as numerous workers who organize, clean, and restore various pieces daily. Iconic exhibits, including “The World Of Balenciaga” and “Vanity Fair,” set the standard for the global curating and exhibiting of costume art and fashion.
@metmuseum Ahead of The Met Gala, let’s get into the history of the department behind the event. Stay tuned on May 6 this year for our new exhibition and this year’s gala! #MetGala #FashionTikTok #MuseumTok ♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda
The Costume Institute has been home to some fashion powerhouses over time. Diana Vreeland, Vogue alum and legendary fashion arbiter, worked there from 1972 until 1989. After her death, Richard Martin and Harold Koda stepped in, beginning themed exhibits that would define the next decade at The Met. When Martin passed in 1999, Richard Bolton took over the institute, scaling back quantity for quality. The institute hosts a couple of special exhibitions a year, and the Anna Wintour Costume Center houses certain exhibitions that are available year-round.
The Costume Institute’s 2026 exhibit features plus-size and disabled mannequins, a welcome change from the exclusionary practices of the past. It is incredibly rare to find clothing styled for and set over plus-sized bodies in general, let alone in museums. Mannequins in wheelchairs and modeled after little people have also been added to the exhibit, which was designed following discussions with disability activists like Sinéad Burke, an Irish writer and little person. Aariana Rose Phillip, a trans model, musician, and activist whose likeness has twice inspired mannequins at the museum, contributed as well.
World history, culture, & timelines blended at The Met
The Costume Institute features items from seven centuries of human art and fashion. From Eastern culture to Western shores, there are costumes from every era, continent, and inspiration you could think of. Fashion varies greatly depending on cultural beliefs and geographic origins. Eastern fashions have historically been more conservative due to notions of religious and cultural modesty. Meanwhile, Western cultures tend to prioritize colors and textures, directing attention to the body.
@arbela.elena Is fashion art? Some thoughts on this year’s MET Gala theme and the intersection of clothing and artistic expression. #metgala #artwork #artfashion ♬ Barcarolle (Berceuse) (Main) – Intermede Music
Recent exhibits, including “China: Through the Looking Glass,” showcase the differences in fashion between Eastern culture and its Western counterparts. Eastern fashion typically employs neutral colors, tunic-style garments, and fitted gowns that are simpler and more understated than Western alternatives. In contrast, Western fashion uses bright colors, lots of textures, and hyper-cinched waists to pull attention. Accentuating body parts like the waist, arms, collarbone, and buttocks is more common in Western culture. Eastern fashion, in comparison, incorporates muted and modest form-fitting techniques.
Fashion has continually evolved over the course of human history. It became part of one’s identity, with clothes indicating one’s wealth, nation, or culture of birth, etc., as well as one’s personality, interests, and career choice. The world often suppresses creativity and individuality, so fashion has solidified into a community: a source of connection and a lifeline.
Met Gala: background, theme, and fashion recap
The Costume Institute Benefit, aka The Met Gala, is the annual fundraiser for the institute and all of its workers. The event was designed as a benefit to sustain The Costume Institute’s work, not as a vanity reel of ego. The Met Gala celebrated the opening of The Costume Institute’s Spring Collection on Monday, May 4th. Draped in clothing of audacious proportions, an abundance of celebrities decorated the steps of the MET.
This year’s Met Gala theme was “Fashion is Art.” When outfits on the red carpet look like art, and museum exhibits are runway-ready fits, you know art is imitating life–or fashion. How we dress is intertwined with who we are, where we’re from, and what we do with our lives, and so is art. Art is also about protesting social norms. The inclusion of all bodies–disabled, aging, and otherwise “different”–instead of only hip, aesthetically pleasing silhouettes, is a crucial step.
@laurennmarinnn what a thrilling way to start the week @Vogue ok but how insane would a performance art theme be… #metgala2026 #Metcostumeart #costumeart #costumemaker #vogue ♬ original sound – Lauren Marin
Among the gorgeous outfits and historic pieces, some did stand out among the rest. Sabrina Carpenter wore a custom dress, made of the actual film from the Audrey Hepburn movie Sabrina. The outfit was both stunning and fitting, given the shared name of the movie and pop icon. Also strutting the runway was Jeremy Pope, wearing a 1996 fall collection Vivienne Westwood corset, which he collaborated on with world-famous corset maker Mr. Pearl. The breathtaking number is currently on display in The Costume Institute’s exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Fighting billionaires & patriarchy, empowering workers
Jeff Bezos, founder and former CEO of Amazon, funded this year’s Met Gala despite widespread protests. Since stepping down, Bezos and Amazon continue to profit majorly while fighting worker demands for higher wages, better conditions and benefits, and a union. Unfortunately, Jeff Bezos’s “donation” contrasts with The Costume Institute’s legacy of accessibility, community, and honoring workers who make art. Notably, MacKenzie Scott, Bezos’s ex, attended a protest during the Gala, calling him “Temu Lex Luther” for using money to spotlight himself. This was after Bezos booked the entire island of Venice, Italy, for his wedding, amidst outcry from local residents and workers.
@nikitadumptruck The ball without billionaires was staged by amazon workers as a protest to Jeff bezos and this year’s met gala, which is sponsored by the bathroom break robber himself
♬ original sound – The Devil Wears Prada 2
Despite Bezos’s involvement, the show must–and did in fact–go on, with some celebrities protesting on their own. Firstly, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wore a skirt to honor the masculinity of Polynesian men, who don’t submit to white patriarchal fashion. Meanwhile, Madonna wore a scene-setting outfit inspired by artist Leonora Carrington, who actively rejected patriarchy and painted worlds where women reigned. As mentioned above, Aariana Rose Phillip was the first wheelchair user to ever attend the Met Gala. These efforts to challenge gender norms and ableism were all on display at the Gala.
In protest of the Bezos-backed Met Gala, A Ball Without Billionaires, a worker-organized gala, occurred on Monday in Brooklyn, NY. The anti-Gala featured workers from Amazon, Starbucks, and Whole Foods, all large corporations that have long resisted unions and other improvements to workers’ rights. And the Ball Without Billionaires wasn’t alone: The Debt Gala, a medical debt forgiveness gala, opened for their annual benefit. Over $4m has been forgiven in three years of operation, showing the impact of giving with love instead of ego.
The Costume Exhibit, The Met Gala, & you…
The Costume Institute, a staple of The Met, represents decades of careful research, acquisition, and restoration of priceless fashion. For decades, the Institute has provided inspiration through its exhibitions and through the Met Gala. If you want to be a part of the movement, make sure to check out the exhibit. It’s open at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 5th Avenue, and will be until January 10, 2027.
Costume art and fashion have had a deep connection to human identity and relationships for almost as long as we have existed. Like other arts, fashion is about expression, protest, and identification with the self and to others. It’s a means of reaching out and communicating that makes us feel a little less small and a bit more powerful, and it varies greatly from person to person. Maybe that’s why people say that fashion is subjective.
We all have a favorite outfit; a go-to ensemble that we don for comfort, validation, or safety. Clothes are like our friends and loved ones. They are also a love language, and they have been since ancient times. Think of a mother sewing a jacket for her child and a father forging buttons to keep that jacket secured. We are what we wear, and we can use our fashion both as a form of identity-building and activism!
