The Costume Institute houses a collection of more than thirty-one thousand costumes and accessories spanning five continents and as many centuries. Among the preeminent institutions of its kind in the world, The Costume Institute began as the Museum of Costume Art, an independent entity formed in 1937 and led by Neighborhood Playhouse founder Irene Lewisohn. In 1946, with the financial support of the fashion industry, the Museum of Costume Art merged with The Metropolitan Museum of Art as The Costume Institute, and in 1959 became a full-fledged curatorial department. The legendary fashion arbiter Diana Vreeland, who served as special consultant from 1972 until her death in 1989, created a memorable suite of costume exhibitions, including “The World of Balenciaga” (1973), “Hollywood Design” (1974), “The Glory of Russian Costume” (1976), and “Vanity Fair” (1977), galvanizing audiences and setting the standard for costume exhibitions both nationally and internationally.

In 1989, Richard Martin took the helm, with the support of Harold Koda (now Curator in Charge), and began a rotating cycle of three thematic exhibitions a year including "Infra-Apparel" (1993), "Waist Not" (1994), "The Four Seasons" (1997), "Wordrobe" (1997), and "Cubism and Fashion" (1998). Martin’s tenure culminated in "Rock Style," the last exhibition before his death in 1999.

Today, The Costume Institute's Harold Koda (Curator in Charge) and Andrew Bolton (Curator) create two special exhibitions each year. Recent thematic exhibitions have included "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years—Selections from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum" (2001), guest curated by Hamish Bowles; "Extreme Beauty: The Body Transformed" (2002), the debut exhibition of Harold Koda as Curator in Charge; "Goddess" (2003);"Bravehearts: Men in Skirts" (2003); "WILD: Fashion Untamed" (2004); "Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the Eighteenth Century" (2004); "AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion" (2006); "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" (2008); and "The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion" (2009). Monographic exhibitions have included "Yves Saint Laurent" (1983); "Madame Grès" (1994); "Christian Dior" (1996); "Gianni Versace" (1997); "Chanel" (2005); and "Poiret: King of Fashion" (2007).

In January 2009, the Brooklyn Museum transferred its renowned costume collection, amassed over more than a century, to The Costume Institute, where it is known as the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It includes the definitive collection of Charles James material, as well as the world’s foremost holdings of American fashion from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. The combined collections now constitute the single largest and most comprehensive costume collection in the world, offering an unrivaled timeline of Western fashion history.

The fashion industry provides strong support for the work of The Costume Institute, including its exhibitions, acquisitions, and capital improvements. Each May, the annual Gala Benefit, its primary fund-raising event, celebrates the opening of the spring exhibition. Under the leadership of Honorary Trustee Anna Wintour (Editor-in-Chief of Vogue), who has been co-chair since 1995 (excluding 1996 and 1998), the gala has become one of the most visible and successful charity events, drawing a stellar list of attendees from the fashion, film, society, business, and music industries. The brainchild of publicity doyenne Eleanor Lambert, the benefit was introduced in 1948 as a midnight supper and dubbed “The Party of the Year.” Co-chairs in past years have included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1977–1978) and Patricia Taylor Buckley (1979–1995).

Resources

The Costume Institute offers walking tours of special exhibitions, as well as a "Fashion in Art" tour, which discusses costume history within the context of the Museum’s collections of armor, textiles, paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts. "Costume: The Art of Dress," a recorded Audio Guide narrated by actress Sarah Jessica Parker, also highlights historical costume throughout the Museum's galleries.

The Costume Institute's 5,000-square-feet galleries, which were last refurbished in 1992, are presently being renovated, as is the department’s Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library, one of the world’s foremost fashion libraries. The library's collection includes more than thirty thousand non-circulating rare books, periodicals, and reference books, and extensive files of clippings pertaining to the art of adornment throughout the world. In addition, the library possesses fashion prints, drawings, photographs, sketchbooks, and design archives.

In 2002, the Museum established The Friends of The Costume Institute, a group that supports the department’s exhibition, acquisition, conservation, and publication programs. In promoting a more profound historical and theoretical understanding of costume, these programs advance fashion as an art form and encourage the study of fashion as a serious academic discipline.

Please note that the permanent collection of The Costume Institute is not on public view. See the calendar for a schedule of upcoming special exhibitions and tours.