Met's Costume Institute to exhibit "Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion"

New York's Met Museum's Costume Institute aims to unravel the mysteries of fashion and its collecting process with a new exhibition opening this autumn. Titled "Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion," the idea to make fashion relatable will show a selection of landmark creations it acquired from its 35,000 strong archive.

In order to demystify the process, recent acquisitions from well-known designers will be paired with those from a historical context. For example an Azzedine Alaïa gown from SS1994 could be juxtaposed with a Siren dress from Anglo-American designer Charles James (1906-1978).

Other contemporary looks will be on view from Philip Treacy, Versace, Tom Ford, Comme des Garçons, Jean Paul Gaultier, Iris Van Herpen and John Galliano for Martin Margiela.

"What a masterwork means is something different in different periods

Assistant curator Jessica Regan said: "What a masterwork means is something different in different periods....the highest artistic merit that demonstrate that evolution of dress and iconic works by designers and how they have changed the way we feel about fashion."

The exhibition will feature 60 masterworks acquired by the museum over the past 10 years. Visitors can expect to see items showcased on packing crates and palettes, to give the effect they have just arrived at the museum.

Elsewhere, donated looks from designers to the museum in honor of Harold Koda to commemorate his retirement as curator in charge will be on show. One such gift is a Karl Lagerfeld-designed black dress embroidered with trompe l’oeil jewelry from his very first Chanel collection.

The upcoming “Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion” will be exhibited in the Anna Wintour Costume Center from November 8 through February 5. Explaining the show's title, Regan stated: “We wanted it to have an immediate resonance with people. Fashion, generally, is a subject that people find more accessible at times than other forms of art. It is so immediately expressive of its period so we did want a title that would express that.”

Photo credit: The Met, courtesy of NYC Arts