Metropolitan Museum Announces ‘Costume Art’ Exhibition Opening in 2026

NEW YORK (November 17, 2025) — The Metropolitan Museum of Art unveiled plans for its spring 2026 exhibition, titled “Costume Art,” on Monday. This exhibition will open on May 10, 2026, and aims to explore the relationship between fashion and fine art, pairing nearly 200 garments with artworks from the museum’s collection.

Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute, stated that the exhibit would help elevate fashion to the status of fine art by emphasizing the connection between clothing and the human body. “Fashion has the status of art because of, and not in spite of, its relation to the body,” Bolton explained at the press conference.

Misty Copeland, a recently retired ballerina, highlighted the exhibition’s aim to challenge idealized body images, saying, “The show makes a powerful case for the body in all its forms as a work of art, worthy of being seen, elevated, and celebrated.” The exhibition’s theme is expected to foster new discussions around body representations in both art and fashion.

With the opening of this exhibition, the Met will also debut its new Condé M. Nast Galleries, a 12,000-square-foot space dedicated to showcasing fashion at the museum. The galleries were made possible by a significant donation from Condé Nast, ensuring that fashion receives a central place in the museum’s cultural narrative.

Financial backing for the gala will come from various sponsors, including the French luxury label Saint Laurent and major contributions from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. The Met Gala, which will take place on May 4, 2026, serves as the primary fundraiser for the Costume Institute, with last year’s gala bringing in $31 million.

The upcoming exhibition, which runs until January 10, 2027, will focus on various body types, including the “Naked Body” and “Classical Body,” while also offering a platform for previously overlooked representations, such as the “Pregnant Body” and “Aging Body.” Bolton emphasized that the exhibit will enable visitors to see the interplay between clothing and the body through artistic and historical lenses.

As the fashion industry continues to evolve, the Met aims to reinforce the significance of garments as art, reshaping public perceptions about the importance of fashion within the broader context of art history.