The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced details for its 2026 Costume Institute exhibition, titled 'Costume Art,' scheduled to open on May 10, 2026. Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show will explore the 5,000-year history of the 'dressed body' by juxtaposing contemporary and historical fashion with sculpture and antiquities from the museum’s permanent collection. The exhibition will be organized into thematic chapters such as 'The Naked Body' and 'The Pregnant Body,' featuring designers like Rei Kawakubo and Charles James.
This iteration marks a significant institutional milestone as it inaugurates the Costume Institute’s new 12,000-square-foot home, the Condé Montrose Nast Gallery, located in a prominent position adjacent to the Great Hall. By integrating fashion with fine art and archaeology, the Met aims to elevate the discourse around clothing as a central element of human history and artistic expression. The accompanying Met Gala on May 4 will serve as the primary fundraiser for this expanded vision of fashion within the encyclopedic museum context.