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Ahead of the 2026 Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Introduced New Mannequins With Diverse Body Types Inspired by Real People

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened a new exhibition titled "Costume Art" ahead of the 2026 Met Gala, featuring mannequins with diverse body types—including larger, pregnant, trans, and disabled bodies—created through 3D printing and based on real-life models. The show pairs roughly 400 artworks with garments, aiming to shift the traditional perspective by viewing art through the lens of fashion rather than the reverse.

museum exhibitions schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 15 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

Who Are the Custom Mannequins in “Costume Art” Based On? We’re So Glad You Asked

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2025 Costume Institute exhibition, "Costume Art," features 25 mannequins modeled after nine real people with diverse body types and mobilities. Curator Andrew Bolton collaborated with artist Samar Hejazi, who created mirrored faceless heads for the mannequins, and artist Tanda Francis, who modeled features after historical figures like André Grenard Matswa. The mannequins are distributed across two thematic sections: "Disabled Body," featuring individuals such as writer Sinéad Burke, athlete Aimee Mullins, and models Aariana Rose Philip, Antwan Tolliver, and Sonia Vera, along with imagery of the late drag performer Goddess Bunny; and "Corpulent Body," featuring models Jade O'Belle, Charlie Reynolds, artist Michaela Stark, and singer Yseult. The living subjects underwent 3D photogrammetry scanning to recreate their likenesses.

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