“Women Dressing Women,” the autumn 2023 Costume Institute show, will honor the artistic history of female designers. The display, which will take place at The Met Fifth Avenue from December 7, 2023, to March 3, 2024, will include about 80 pieces from more than 70 creators and trace the history of women-led fashion firms from the 20th century to the present. The designers that were chosen are, among others, Vivienne Westwood, Adèle Henriette Nigrin Fortuny, Gabriela Hearst, Ann Lowe, Claire McCardell, Pia Davis, Autumn Randolph, Miuccia Prada, and Madeleine Vionnet.
The show will explore four core concepts—anonymity, visibility, agency, and absence/omission—and provide a new perspective on fashion history. It looks at how women have benefited socially, economically, and creatively from the fashion industry. Beyond well-known designers, the emphasis will be on illuminating the identities, mentoring histories, and relationships among women creators across time.
The Marina Kellen French Director and CEO of The Met, Max Hollein, highlights the exhibition’s commitment to marginalized voices and contemplating women’s essential contributions to fashion. Wendy Yu,Yu Curator in Charge Andrew Bolton and Associate Curator Mellissa Huber pledge to honor women’s contributions to art, technology, and society.
The exhibition will begin by examining the function of anonymous dressmakers before highlighting the collaborative aspect of design by moving through the historical hub of Parisian haute couture. Next, it will examine the agency of female designers, emphasizing how opportunities for different generations are changing and how fashion intersects with political and physical expression. The last section will feature designers that have just lately become well-known, such as Ann Lowe and Adèle Henriette Nigrin Fortuny.
There will be an exhibition of iconic items by well-known designers, including Jeanne Lanvin, Ann Demeulemeester, Sarah Burton, and Gabrielle Chanel. In addition, current designers such as Simone Rocha, Iris Van Herpen, Anifa Mveumba, Hillary Taymour, and Anifa Mveumba will be on display to further highlight modern fashion’s inclusion and variety.
Mellissa Huber and Karen Van Godtsenhoven, a guest curator, are in charge of organizing the exhibition. Essays about absabsence or omissionisibility, agency, anonymity, and visibility will be included in the accompanying catalog, which the Metropolitan Museum of Art will publish. Educational initiatives and events like Met Expert Talks and a studio workshop run by designer Hillary Taymour will increase visitor engagement.ur.
Beginning on December 8, 2023, a film series called “Women Dressing Women: From Runway to Screen” in association with Metrograph, an independent New York movie theater, would showcase actors dressed by top female fashion designers.
