The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute spring exhibition, "Costume Art," pairs fashion with artworks from the Met's collection, including ancient Greek statues and Andy Warhol screenprints, alongside garments by designers from Charles James to CFGNY. Curator Andrew Bolton aims to suggest that fashion can expand understanding of art, but the show's juxtapositions often feel vague and sloppy, with only occasional resonant pairings like a Jean Paul Gaultier shirt and Joe Brainard drawing linked by queer artist lineage.
The exhibition marks a departure for the Costume Institute, which has built its blockbuster reputation on extravagant garment displays fueled by Met Gala chair Anna Wintour and lead supporters Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos. However, the show's weak art-historical dialogue undermines its ambition, raising questions about whether the Met's fashion department can meaningfully integrate fine art without reducing it to decorative context.