More Details Revealed About the 2015 Met Costume Institute China Exhibit

Roberto Cavalli, Fall/Winter 2005–6

Photo: Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

first it was Charles James’ sculptural ball gowns, then it was gothic 19th-century mourning attire, and in spring 2015, the Anna Wintour Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will take a look at how Western fashion has been influenced by China, from the robes of Chinese emperors to the patterns of Chinese porcelain. The show, titled China: Through the Looking Glass, will be on view starting May 7, and will include more than 130 haute couture and ready-to-wear pieces alongside Chinese artistry rendered in jade, lacquer, cloisonné, and blue-and-white porcelain. Think Yves Saint Laurent circa 2004 and Roberto Cavalli circa 2005, among others.


Andrew Bolton, curator of the exhibit, said at a press conference today at the Palace Museum in Beijing: “From the earliest period of European contact with China in the 16th century, the West has been enchanted with enigmatic objects and imagery from China, providing inspiration for fashion designers from Paul Poiret to Yves Saint Laurent. Through the looking glass of fashion, designers conjoin disparate stylistic references into a pastiche of Chinese aesthetic and cultural traditions.” The Costume Institute will be working with the Asian Art Department of The Metropolitan Museum of Art for a fashion collaboration of the best kind. Get excited.