Fashion reclaims primacy: the met’s ‘costume art’ exhibition redefines visual history

Andrew Bolton’s audacious ‘Costume Art’ exhibition at The Met isn’t merely showcasing garments; it’s a deliberate dismantling of the hierarchy between fashion and fine art, asserting clothing as a foundational element of visual culture.

A radical reframing of artistic significance

The exhibition, a meticulously curated dialogue between historical artworks and contemporary designs, challenges the long-held notion that fashion serves only as an illustrative accessory. Bolton’s stated aim – “reframing fashion as a primary site of visual and social formation” – is a provocative declaration that’s immediately realized through a striking juxtaposition of pieces. Think Yves Saint Laurent’s fall 2024 ‘Bejewelled Maiden with a Parakeet’ alongside a 17th-century Indian portrait, or Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson collaborating with a 14th-century Constance panel.

The presentation itself is strikingly minimalist. Gray backgrounds, courtesy of Anna Rieger and photographers Paul Westlake and Anna-Marie Kellen, isolate and amplify the symbiotic relationships between the artworks and the mannequins, emphasizing the unexpected connections. It’s a calculated move to strip away distraction and force a direct engagement with the thematic core – the ‘dressed body’ as the central point of intersection.

Wolfe’s assemblages: where art and fashion collide

Central to the exhibition’s conceptual framework are the intricate assemblages created by Julie Wolfe, in collaboration with Nathalie Agussol. These aren’t simple pairings; they’re complex, layered compositions, built upon Wolfe’s signature technique of using Exacto knives, scissors, and archival adhesives to manipulate vintage book pages and other unusual materials. Her process – ‘a 1+1=3 approach’ – generates entirely new entities, ‘a separate sort of hybrid entity,’ as Wolfe explains. Bolton describes it as “brilliant,” recognizing the assemblages transcend their individual components, offering a fresh perspective on the pairings.

Wolfe’s deliberate embrace of imperfections – the cut marks, the irregularities – speaks to a resistance against the sterile perfection often associated with both art and fashion. “I wanted to make these pieces very much analog in themselves, very much like a human touch, not perfect,” she notes. The limited-edition ‘The Body Electric’ keepsake box, featuring a signed print by Wolfe and unbound pages for personalized connection, further solidifies this commitment to tactile engagement.

Key takeaways: The exhibition culminates in a powerful statement – fashion, when presented with this level of critical consideration, possesses a visual and social weight comparable to any masterpiece. It’s a forceful assertion of its inherent significance, and a testament to Bolton's curatorial vision.