The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute will open its spring 2026 exhibition, "Costume Art," on May 10, 2026, running through January 10, 2027. The show features nearly 400 objects from the Met's collection, pairing couture garments with paintings, sculptures, and decorative works across centuries. Organized by "body types" such as "Classical Body" and "Mortal Body," the exhibition will be housed in the new 12,000-square-foot Condé Nast Galleries. The Met Gala, co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, will kick off the exhibition with a dress code of "Fashion is Art."
This exhibition matters because it marks a significant institutional shift for the Met, positioning fashion as a fine art form within the broader context of 5,000 years of art history. By pairing contemporary design with ancient artifacts and using reflective mannequins to engage visitors, the show challenges traditional hierarchies between fashion and art. The new dedicated gallery space also signals a permanent commitment to elevating costume exhibitions, reinforcing the Met's role in redefining how fashion is presented and understood in museum settings.