The Metropolitan Museum has announced the theme for the 2026 Met Gala, which will serve as the foundation for a new extensive exhibition by the Costume Institute. According to CNN, the exhibition will be titled "The Art of Costume."
The planned opening of the exhibition will take place on May 10, featuring around 200 works of art alongside 200 outfits and accessories. The goal is to showcase fashion as a unique form of art, inextricably linked to the human body.
Andrew Bolton, the curator of the Costume Institute, explained that the exhibition will focus on clothing as an element of a living person, rather than merely as an exhibit in a display case. Former ballerina Misty Copeland added that this exhibition highlights the beauty of body diversity and considers them as works of art.
One of the significant events on November 17 was the opening of a new 12,000-square-foot exhibition space that will be entirely dedicated to the Costume Institute. This space will be named in honor of the media company Condé Nast, which made a significant donation for its creation.
Anna Wintour was present at the presentation, and despite her stepping down as editor-in-chief of American Vogue, she will continue her role as global creative director of Condé Nast and will oversee the Met Gala.
The financial partners of the event will include the fashion house Saint Laurent, Condé Nast, as well as well-known businessmen Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos.
The Met Gala annually raises significant amounts of money: last year, the event brought in $31 million for the museum. These funds are the sole source of financing for the Costume Institute, which does not receive budgetary funds from the museum.
The Met Gala is a charity evening that takes place on the first Monday of May in New York City. Since 1995, the event has been led by Anna Wintour, who holds the position of global editorial director of Vogue.
