The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is set to take us on a mesmerizing journey through the world of fashion like never before with its spring 2024 theme, ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.’
Curated by the Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, Andrew Bolton, the exhibit will showcase approximately 250 items from the institute’s permanent collection, some of which have rarely been seen in public before. From a 17th-century English Elizabethan-era bodice to contemporary acquisitions by renowned designers like Phillip Lim, Stella McCartney, and Connor Ives, the core of the exhibit spans an incredible 400 years of fashion history.
This diverse collection will include designs by legendary creators such as Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, and many more. The aim? To unstitch and enlighten our understanding of the natural world through the art of fashion.
Image Courtesy: British Vogue
Fashion, as Andrew Bolton explains, is an art form that’s deeply emotional and intrinsically tied to the human body. It’s a manifestation of memory and emotion, and it engages our senses like few other art forms. ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ seeks to activate our sensory appreciation of fashion, giving us a richer connection to the pieces on display.
The exhibition’s structure focuses on approximately 50 historically significant and aesthetically beautiful pieces that are far too fragile to be worn again, hence the term ‘Sleeping Beauties.’ These precious garments, including the aforementioned Elizabethan bodice and a silk satin ballgown by Charles Frederick Worth from 1877, will be transformed through innovative display techniques.
Image Courtesy: British Vogue
Contemporary fashion works will be exhibited alongside these historical treasures, drawing unexpected connections between the past and present. The use of illusion techniques like Pepper’s ghost, video animation, light projection, soundscaping, AI, CGI, and other sensory stimulation methods will create a contextual fabric of understanding around each piece. The exhibition will be divided into three main zones: Land, Sea and Sky, tracing the evolving relationship between humans and the natural world through the manipulation of materials to craft garments.
In a nod to modern concerns about sustainability and regenerative fashion production, the exhibition will also feature pieces from contemporary creators who are at the forefront of innovative, eco-conscious fashion.
Image Courtesy: British Vogue
To bring this vision to life, the image maker Nick Knight and scent artist Sissel Tolaas have been enlisted as creative consultants. The exhibition’s spatial arrangement is in the capable hands of the architecture firm Leong Leong in collaboration with The Met’s Design Department.
But what makes this fashion extravaganza possible? Lead sponsor TikTok, along with additional support from Loewe and Condé Nast, the publisher of Vogue, are making ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ a reality. The exhibition will be open to the public from 10th May to 2nd September 2024, following the iconic Met Gala on 6th May, which provides essential funding for all of The Costume Institute’s activities.
Image Courtesy: British Vogue
In a world where fashion is an evolving expression of art, culture and nature, ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ invites us to rediscover its beauty and history in a way that’s nothing short of enchanting. Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO believes that this innovative show will stretch the boundaries of our imagination, inviting us to dive deep into the captivating world of fashion.
-Britney Jones