Costume Art

The Costume Institute's spring 2026 exhibition explores depictions of the dressed body across The Met's vast collection, pairing garments with artworks to reveal the inherent relationship between clothing and the body. Focusing primarily on Western art from prehistory to the present, Costume Art presents connections between garments from The Costume Institute and objects from the Museum's other collecting areas. Pairings between fashions and artworks will present a spectrum of connections and experiences: from the formal to the conceptual, the aesthetic to the political, the individual to the universal, the illustrative to the symbolic, and the playful to the profound. These pairings are organized into a series of thematic body types that reflect their pervasiveness and endurance through time and cultures. Costume Art is the inaugural exhibition in the new, nearly 12,000-square-foot Galleries adjacent to the Great Hall. This space will display The Costume Institute's annual spring show and, at times, shows from the Museum's other curatorial departments, including those that explore the intersection of fashion and art.