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The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced “Fashion is Art” as the dress code for its May 4, 2026 Costume Institute Benefit. It accompanied the exhibition Costume Art, which the museum scheduled from May 10, 2026 through January 10, 2027.
Dress code and exhibition are different
The gala's dress code was an invitation to attendees to interpret a theme. Costume Art is the museum exhibition: nearly 400 objects juxtaposing clothing with other artworks to explore the dressed body.
The museum identified Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour as gala co-chairs. The exhibition also inaugurated new galleries adjacent to the Great Hall.
What visitors can do
The gala is a fundraising event; visiting the public exhibition is a separate experience. Readers interested in the curatorial ideas should consult the museum's exhibition information rather than assume red-carpet attendance or gala access comes with admission.
Check current opening hours, entry arrangements and accessibility information directly with the museum before visiting. The published exhibition closing date provides a planning reference, but ticket availability is a live matter.
The theme connects fashion with visual art through the body, rather than asking every guest or visitor to copy a particular painting.
A way into the exhibition
Choose one garment-and-artwork pairing and compare shape, posture and material before reading the interpretation. That turns a broad theme into a concrete looking exercise. It also keeps the public exhibition experience distinct from the separate spectacle of the gala.
Sources and further reading
- The Met: Official gala and exhibition announcement
Primary source
A JournoPulse blog post, prepared with AI assistance from the linked sources. Our methodology · Suggest a correction.
