Doing the research for this story felt a little bit like planning a debutante ball, as it collects the first runway exits of some of the looks in the just-opened, and must-see, “About Time” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute. This year I’ve added a few references from the magazine as well.
Vogue is only 22 years younger than the Met, which is celebrating its sesquicentennial.
That’s 150 years to me and you. The time span provided curator Andrew Bolton with a framework for the show in which visitors do-si-do with pairs of garments from different eras that are deep in conversation with each other. The past seems very much present in so many ways today. One of the surface results of quarantine is the revival of old-fashioned pleasures, like drive-ins, board games, and puzzles. Much deeper shifts are happening as the Black Lives Matter movement pushes for America to confront its past so that the country can truly live up to the ideals of its Constitution. It’s quite prescient how this mirrors what is happening in culture and politics right now—although it’s a lot quieter at the Met!
Blocking visual “noise” is the pared-back palette: Everything in the show is in black and white. This draws attention to the sculptural forms and textures of the garments, highlighting both similarities and differences. “About Time” delivers an optimistic message, suggesting that it is possible to find common ground across cultures and eras.
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