The actual fashion in the Met’s ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ exhibition

When the celebs are gone, these outfits remain. Here are eight of our favourites poised to be on show at the Met’s forthcoming fashion exhibition.

Most people by now are familiar with the Met Gala, the opening night held the first Monday in May, attracting an intoxicating collision of
celebrity and fashion in a collective effort to help fund the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 33,000-strong collection of clothing, textiles and adornment.

Guests, meanwhile, will be dressing to the theme of “The Garden of Time”, inspired by the English novelist and satirist J.G. Ballard’s short story of the same name from 1962.

Re-opened in May 2014 as the Anna Wintour Costume Centre, the department is the only one at the Met that has to fund itself. With pieces from the 15th century to the present day in its archives, protecting these treasures is a tall task and requires a heavyweight endorsement employed by Wintour, who has been co-chair since 1995 (excluding 1996 and 1998).

For this year’s exhibition, 250 historically significant pieces will be on display. Referred to as the “sleeping beauties”, these pieces are far too fragile ever to be worn again, and include original designs from fashion masters Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Alexander McQueen; along with more contemporary offerings from Stella McCartney, Conor Ives and Phillip Lim.

The Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion exhibit is curated by Andrew Bolton, whose endearing appearance in the 2016 documentary China: Through the Looking Glass gave further awareness to the mammoth effort it takes to create a fashion exhibition of this scale each year. This year’s multi-sensory exhibition will place the spotlight on “iconography related to nature”, with Bolton explaining that some garments will be accompanied by scent, meaning “the scent of the person who wore it, the natural body odours that they emitted, what they smoked, what they ate, where they lived”.

Aside from the media frenzy surrounding what celebrities will be wearing next month, which will no doubt be saturated with coverage across social media (TikTok is a principal partner, with its CEO Shou Zi Chew serving as an honorary co-chair, a controversial choice given the app’s recent legal issues in the US), what exactly are the key inclusions for this exhibition and how will they be presented?

We take a closer look at eight of our favourites that we know about so far.

Charles James ‘Butterfly’ dress, 1955

Celebrated American-English couturier Charles James was famous for his ballgowns and highly structured aesthetic, and remains one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. Pictured here is his wife Nancy wearing the dramatic Butterfly dress, featuring a tightly fitted bustle reminiscent of gowns from the early 1880s, made with more than 20m of tulle.

Elsa Schiaparelli day dress, circa. 1939-41

Featuring a medley of patchwork floral postcards, what makes this dress unique for its time is an exposed zipper running down its entire back. Part of the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection, a Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Millicent Huttleston Rogers, 1951.

Alexander McQueen blazer, spring/summer, 1995

The late and great Lee McQueen’s work lives on with the institute’s extensive collection. While its current creative director Seán McGirr’s February debut was a big ask following the departure of Sarah Burton after 13 years as its creative director (and 13 years before that as McQueen’s right hand), McQueen’s precision tailoring is celebrated in this sharp blazer with its rigorous shoulders. A striking bird print adds suitable drama.

Vivienne Westwood waistcoat, autumn/winter, 1995-1996

Another British fashion legend, this delicate silk waistcoat is another key highlight in the exhibition, from the designer’s riotous Vive la Cocotte collection presented at the Louvre Carrousel in Paris. The collection provided social commentary around female sexuality and referenced Marie Antoinette and the excess of the French Revolution.

Marni by Francesco Risso, spring/summer, 2024

The Italian designer’s whimsical and sustainable focus for the brand is widely lauded and offers a contemporary incision as part of this exhibition that feels right. This explosion of metal flower cutouts was all cut by hand from metal cans. Genius.

Norman Norell, Mermaid dress, circa 1960s

Featuring shimmering paillettes, this purple gown is evocative of the 60s, and features a bow belt at the waist and a high-collared neckline. Groovy! Purchase, Gould Family Foundation Gift, in memory of Jo Copeland, 2014.

Alexander McQueen, spring/summer, 2011

It’s no surprise there’s another McQueen inclusion here on our radar, this time from Sarah Burton’s tenure. Nature and the decay of nature have long been a source of inspiration for the late designer, and this look from Burton’s first collection explored themes of nature, paganism and English folklore. Made up of artificial butterflies, this hourglass-shaped dress features hundreds of trompe l’oeil wings applied by hand to emulate the distinctive pattern of the monarch butterfly.

Christian Dior Vilmiron ensemble, spring/summer 1952

A silhouette synonymous with Dior’s mid-century New Look shape, this delicate floral embellished dress evokes the feeling of a spring meadow. Expect to see several vintage Dior garments in this exhibition — the pioneering designer was well-known for his love of flowers.

Dan Ahwa is Viva’s fashion and creative director and a senior premium lifestyle journalist for the New Zealand Herald, specialising in fashion, luxury, arts and culture. He is also an award-winning stylist with over 17 years of experience, and is a co-author and co-curator of The New Zealand Fashion Museum’s Moana Currents: Dressing Aotearoa Now.

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