The Met Costume Constitute'due south 2021-2022 ii-part theme, 'In America: A Dictionary of Fashion' and 'In America: An Anthology of Mode,' is an examination of the American identity at a turbulent time in The states history. "Fashion is both a harbinger of cultural shifts and a tape of the forces, beliefs, and events that shape our lives," said Max Hollein, the Marina Kellen French Director of The Met. "This two-office exhibition considers how manner reflects evolving notions of identity in America." The exhibition commemorates American designers, acknowledges the cultural, political and social events that have occurred during the pandemic and celebrates inclusivity in fashion—offering an apt snapshot of the current cultural climate.

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gen Z-led

The Met Gala, which officially opens the Costume Institute exhibition, was hosted by four gen Z cultural kingpins who espouse the generation's key values: Timothée Chalamet, who is known for his gender-fluid way; Billie Eilish, who has spoken publicly most her struggles with low, body dysmorphia and Tourette syndrome; Amanda Gorman, an activist and the showtime National Youth Poet Laureate; and Naomi Osaka, who was named one of Fourth dimension's About Influential People of 2021 after withdrawing from the French Open to tend to her mental health.

The iv hosts represent the new guard in mode—ane that is increasingly led by values.

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Rooted in values

The exhibition—which the Guardian called "the almost politically charged fashion exhibition ever staged by a major museum"—celebrates diversity and takes a lens to the controversy of American identity. Well-nigh one-half of the exhibits are past designers of color, the highest percentage of whatever Costume Establish ensemble show. I garment features a sash with the question "Who gets to be American?" from a 2019 catwalk bear witness by the designer Prabal Gurung, who is of Nepalese heritage.

"The approach of this exhibition very much came out of the Black Lives Matter movement," said the curator Andrew Bolton. "American fashion is undergoing a renaissance that is existence driven past engagement with political and social issues. Young fashion designers in America, every bit in Great britain, are at the forefront of conversations about inclusivity around race and gender and the body. When you talk to them about their ambitions, it's non most jobs at the large European houses or being the next Ralph Lauren or Diane Von Furstenberg. They arroyo fashion in an ethical fashion which is rooted in values and community."

In keeping with the theme, Billie Eilish used the Met Gala as a platform to affect existent modify past convincing Oscar de la Renta to terminate using fur. Other Met Gala attendees took the opportunity to make like statements: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore a gown emblazoned with the phrase "tax the rich," and many sported creations by Black, Indigenous or underrepresented American designers.

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Tech inspired

Social media heavily influences this year'south exhibition. The exhibit is co-sponsored by Instagram and has many Instagram-esque elements. The garments are displayed against a backdrop of stark white squares, calling to mind an Instagram grid. Above each mannequin is a box with a unmarried word (relating to the theme, In American: A Dictionary of Mode), much like a tag. The Met also plans to release select designer items for purchase on Instagram as part of the exhibition.

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