As has been true in years past, tonight’s Met Gala will most likely be remembered for its red carpet star turns, humungous flower arrangements, and top-notch musical performances. But despite the awe-inspiring aspects of the evening, it’s important to remember what the Met Gala is really all about. The annual event celebrates the opening of the Met’s Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, which in this case is “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between.” It’s an in-depth look at Kawakubo’s avant-garde oeuvre—and a major retrospective. Understandably, the show took curator Andrew Bolton and his team a full year and a considerable amount of effort to put on. And from the objects themselves to their expert staging, it’s clear that Bolton’s work paid off. Below, a by-the-numbers guide to what exactly it took to create this year’s exhibition.
115,167 square feet of gallery space to display the exhibition
365 days to plan the exhibition
314 fluorescent tubes with UV filters for lighting
236 hours that Andrew Bolton spent traveling on research trips
248 pages in the exhibition catalog
140 Rei Kawakubo ensembles included in the exhibition
140 mannequins used
110 Met staff members who worked on the exhibition
69 days to construct and install the exhibition
37 people to install the exhibition
1 exhibition gallery used
