This year’s MET Gala theme is aptly titled “Costume Art”. But if fashion is art, why isn’t it funded as such?
Since its inception, the Costume Institute has been the only curatorial department at the MET required to raise its own operating funds. What has become a controversial night of celebrity and wealth, is still an essential source of funding for the department’s work. The art form of dress has often been disparaged due to underlying misogyny and as such is notoriously underfunded compared to its more masculine counterparts. When Irene Lewisohn and Aline Bernstein created the Museum of Costume Art in 1937, they were well aware of this imbalance due to their background in costume design. In 1946, the Museum of Costume Art merged with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and became the Costume Institute, on the condition it was to be self funded.
The Costume Institute has since grown, in 2018 it attracted 1.43 million visitors to its “Heavenly Bodies” exhibit and made it the Museum’s most visited exhibition, but the financial clause from its 1946 beginnings remains. And the cycle of the first Monday in May continues.
Shown here are some helpings of MET Galas past (before we all became critics) courtesy of my favorite pastime: Getty Images. Photo details in the comments.
Gabbing about my collection of Fluevogs and what they mean to me (and subsequently my friendship with Amrit) for @teenvogue ❤️ Thank you @s.ky1i for the wonderful article and photos!!
wearing @american_mermaaid bustier & garter belt
a lovely evening at @viviennewestwood celebrating my ever so talented miss head of bridal bestie @twiggymoore_ 💒
and standing in front of the luscious floral work of @l_flowerguru
If you're a fluevogger, this is a safe space!!! 👠🧘♀️ Welcome back to 'Make Me a Fan,' our new show where we get cool people to convince our cool host on why they should join their fandom. In our second episode, @spiltmlk ropes in @komal_nambiar to the fluemmunity (Carrie Bradshaw would be proud ok !!!)
Special thanks to @yayatea 🧋
