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The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the theme of its 2026 exhibition: “Costume Art.” With a primary focus on a grand scope of Western art, it will bridge the gap between the two distinct yet often intertwined artistic mediums—fashion and art—and their relationship to the human body.

“Fashion’s acceptance as an art form has really occurred on art’s terms,” head curator Andrew Bolton told Vogue ahead of the announcement. “It’s premised on the negation, on the renunciation, of the body, and on the [fact that] aesthetics are about disembodied and disinterested contemplation.”

Thus, “Costume Art” will showcase great works of fashion alongside artistic representations of the body. Sneak-peek examples include a bulbous ensemble by Rei Kawakubo f

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