"China Through the Looking Glass" breaks attendance records

The Met's "China Through the Looking Glass" exhibit has shattered attendance records for the Costume Institute. The exhibit has surpassed The Met's previously most attended fashion exhibit, 2011's "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty". Last Sunday, August 16, 2015, "China Through the Looking Glass" officially had 671,234 visitors.

With three more weeks to go until its Labor Day closing, "China Through the Looking Glass" has the potential to surpass several of the Met's other top 10 most attended exhibits. "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" was the eighth most attended exhibit in The Met's history with 661, 509 visitors just to give an idea of how much further "China Through the Looking Glass" could go. What has helped make the exhibit so successful is its cross-cultural universal appeal.

"China Through the Looking Glass" surpasses "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" in terms of visitors

Designers from around the globe including Ralph Lauren, Coco Chanel, Alexander McQueen, and Miuccia Prada are represented. The exhibit even becomes about more than just the fashion with Chinese tapestries and pottery adoring the rooms, making the exhibit appeal to more than just the fashion lover. With over 16 different galleries, there is literally something for everyone from those who are interested in traditional Chinese history to those interested in how the Chinese dragon inspired Cartier to create their dragon bracelet.

The Met is also a top tourist destination with an estimated 55 million annual visitors from around the globe coming to see what the museum has to offer. The advantage that "China Through the Looking Glass" has over The Met's "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" exhibit is that patrons don't have to wait in line to see it. The exhibit is accessible to everyone through the museum's Chinese Galleries and Anna Wintour Costume Center.

The exhibit has turned into one of the most historic exhibits in fashion history, an honor both well-deserved and to be expected. With the years of influence Chinese art has had over fashion the exhibit was poised to be a success. It was a crown gem in what was an impressive fiscal year for the met where they saw over 6 million people.