The Costume Institute’s exhibitions are rooted in history. From tracing the birth of exaggerated, outlandish dressing in “Camp: Notes on Fashion” to following Chinese culture’s heavy influence on Western dress “China: Through the Looking Glass,” the exhibitions on display at The Met are often composed of artifacts—ones that Andrew Bolton, the Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute, and his team scour the fashionable corners of the earth to acquire.
But for “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” which opens to the public this week, Bolton didn’t have to go too far back into fashion history to help populate this exhibition. “In America” presents over 100 garments, predominantly focused on young designers, emerging labels, and American fashion house mainstays that date back to the past seven or so years. In this new show, Andrew Bolton pulled from a long list of designers—most far from household-name status—including Bode, Collina Strada, Connor Ives, Sterling Ruby, Vaquera. They are, however, labels that are easily found at your favorite retailers. All this to say, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Insitute’s exhibition has really never been more shoppable.
In this exhibition, Bolton was steadfast in his belief that the answer to the question, “what exactly makes fashion American?” is not a simple one. The show does not attempt to package American fashion; it’s an exploration of it. But as showgoers walk around the galleries and realize that they might be able to scoop up some of the Altuzarra, Tory Burch, and Savage x Fenty on display, the exhibition is made all the more democratic. Fashion is for everyone. And what’s more American than that?
Below, shop all the young designers—from Tory Burch to Area to Savage x Fenty—featured in the exhibition.
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