The Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2026 Costume Institute exhibition, titled "Costume Art," will feature special mannequins with mirrored steel heads created by Toronto-born, Dubai-based artist Samar Hejazi. The mannequins, designed in collaboration with Curator in Charge Andrew Bolton, represent differently sized and abled bodies and replace traditional faces with reflective surfaces to disrupt the conventional presentation of fashion. Hejazi attended the Met Gala wearing a gown by Palestinian designer Zaid Farouki and described the project as a meaningful collaboration aimed at fostering empathy and self-reflection.
This collaboration matters because it marks a significant shift in how the Met Gala and the Costume Institute approach representation and inclusivity within the high-fashion world. By replacing mannequin faces with mirrors, Hejazi removes the hierarchy of a fixed ideal, allowing each viewer to see themselves in the work and become part of the narrative. The project reflects broader cultural conversations about body diversity, embodiment, and the destigmatization of non-ideal bodies, positioning the exhibition as a radical rethinking of the relationship between viewer, garment, and display.