Friends of The Costume Institute
Inaugurated in the fall of 2002, Friends of The Costume Institute is an invited group of patrons who provide critical support to the Museum and The Costume Institute, enabling the Department to acquire objects for their world-renowned collection. The group engages Friends with insider access to exhibitions and intimate gatherings with industry leaders to build awareness of The Costume Institute's contribution to the understanding of fashion as an art form.
Annual Dues
Annual Dues: $12,000 (a portion of dues is tax-deductible)
Under-Forty Annual Dues: $6,000 (a portion of dues is tax-deductible)
Benefits
The Friends of The Costume Institute receive the following benefits:
- previews and tours of Costume Institute special exhibitions, ahead of other members and the public;
- private events including fashion film screenings, behind-the-scenes tours, and exclusive receptions with curators, designers, and key figures in fashion;
- catalogues of recent Department exhibitions;
- a dedicated Summer newsletter; and
- acknowledgment in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Annual Report.
The Friends of The Costume Institute also receive corresponding benefits of a Patron Membership at The Met, including:
- free, express admission to all of The Met's locations with up to four accompanied guests;
- special access to the collection and new exhibitions during Morning Hours, Preview Days, Evening Receptions, and The Met After Hours;
- invitations to Members-only events, concerts, and curator talks;
- access to the Members-only spaces in the Museum;
- 10% discount on all public restaurants and venues at The Met, The Met Cloisters, and The Met Store;
- subscriptions to the What's On calendar and The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin; and
- reciprocal benefits at sixteen museums nationwide.
Membership is offered by invitation only.
Highlights of Past Events
- Private curator-led tour of the exhibitions Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, and Costume Art
- Behind-the-scenes tour of The Costume Institute's world-renowned collection and Conservation Lab
- Evening receptions with special guest designers, including Tory Burch, Christopher John Rogers, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Thom Browne, and Erdem Moralioğlu
- Designer studio visits including Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Oscar de la Renta, and Ralph Lauren