INSIDE THE MET’S NEW ERA: SPRING 2026 BRINGS EXPANSIVE GALLERIES AND “COSTUME ART”
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is stepping into a new era of fashion-as-fine-art. Beginning May 10, 2026, The Costume Institute will debut Costume Art, an expansive exhibition exploring the relationship between the dressed body and artworks spanning 5,000 years of The Met’s collection. The show also marks the grand opening of nearly 12,000 square feet of newly designed galleries — named for the late Condé M. Nast — positioned directly adjacent to the Great Hall.
It’s a major architectural and curatorial milestone, supported by a lead gift from Condé Nast, with additional contributions from Thom Browne, Michael Kors and Lance Le Pere, Aerin Lauder, Tory Burch, Nancy C. and Richard R. Rogers, and Amy and John Griffin. The expansion signals The Met’s deepening commitment to fashion as an essential part of the museum’s cultural narrative.
Curated by Costume Institute head Andrew Bolton, Costume Art places garments from across fashion history in conversation with artworks from The Met’s permanent collection — from Greek and Roman sculpture to contemporary art. Rather than isolating fashion as an aesthetic statement, the exhibition foregrounds the body itself as the connective tissue linking centuries of creative expression.
Organized around thematic “body types,” the show examines universal forms such as the “Naked Body” and “Classical Body,” as well as perspectives often minimized in traditional art history, including the “Pregnant Body” and the “Aging Body.” Other chapters, such as the “Anatomical Body” and “Mortal Body,” explore shared human experience through physicality, vulnerability, and transformation.
Bolton emphasizes that the exhibition privileges materiality, presence, and the embodied nature of fashion — shifting the lens away from fashion’s typical visual spectacle toward a more intimate understanding of how clothing and bodies shape one another. Garments and artworks will be displayed on pedestals traditionally used to signal cultural value, but here they act as equalizers between mediums and eras, reinforcing the exhibition’s conceptual anchor: fashion is art, and the body is its canvas.
THE FUTURE OF THE GREAT HALL
The Condé M. Nast Galleries are the first phase of a sweeping reimagination of the Great Hall and its surrounding spaces. Designed by Peterson Rich Office (PRO) with Beyer Blinder Belle as executive architect, the new galleries will host The Costume Institute’s annual spring exhibitions and, at times, shows from other Met departments exploring intersections between fashion and art. A second phase — including updates to the 83rd Street entrance, as well as dining and retail areas — will roll out in the future.
Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO, describes the project as a pivotal step in expanding how the museum presents fashion: “Costume Art will elevate timeless themes while bringing new ideas and ways of seeing. The new Condé M. Nast Galleries reflect the Museum’s commitment to presenting fashion as an art form within the full expanse of art history.”
THE 2026 MET GALA
To celebrate the exhibition’s opening, the 2026 Met Gala will take place on Monday, May 4. As always, the highly anticipated event will raise essential funding for The Costume Institute’s programming, acquisitions, publications, and operations. Co-chairs, honorary chairs, and the host committee will be announced in the coming months.
Both the exhibition and gala are made possible by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, with additional support from Saint Laurent and Condé Nast.
A richly illustrated catalogue — written by Bolton with imagery by artist Julie Wolfe, photographer Paul Westlake, and stylist/designer Nathalie Agussol — will accompany the show, featuring texts by Dr. Llewellyn Negrin and an epilogue by Andrew Solomon. A limited-edition deluxe version will be available exclusively at The Met Store.
Artist Samar Hejazi will design custom mannequin heads for Costume Art, adding a sculptural layer to the show’s exploration of bodily identity.
Public programs, talks, and events tied to the exhibition will be announced in early 2026.
