Cover The Met Gala dress code is ‘Fashion Is Art’. We look at the iconic designers who moved beyond the print to turn museum masterpieces into wearable architecture (Photo: metmuseum.org)
The Met Gala dress code is ‘Fashion Is Art’. We look at the iconic designers who moved beyond the print to turn museum masterpieces into wearable architecture (Photo: metmuseum.org)
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The Met Gala dress code declares ‘Fashion Is Art’ this season; we examine the iconic designers who first bridged that divide
The annual Met Gala serves as the primary intersection for the global fashion industry and the institutional art world. As the main fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute, the gala explores the theme “Costume Art”. This year, the accompanying exhibition examines how designers manipulate textiles, construction techniques and surface embellishment to echo movements from Impressionism to Surrealism, positioning fashion within a broader art historical framework. The dress code, “fashion is art”, encourages attendees to treat the body as a canvas, translating painterly references, sculptural silhouettes and conceptual ideas into wearable form. In practice, that often results in pieces that blur authorship between designer and artist, reinforcing the idea that garments can function as collectible, exhibition-worthy works rather than purely commercial objects.
Before the red carpet unrolls and the first guests ascend the stairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we examine the technical alchemy behind this season’s dress code, “Fashion Is Art”. To suggest that fashion is art is to acknowledge a lineage of designers who refused to treat the body as a mere mannequin, opting instead to treat it as a structural extension of the canvas. From the rigid geometries of Dutch modernism to the fluid violence of a Japanese woodblock print, these archival moments serve as the blueprint for an evening dedicated to the dressed form as a curated object.
Read more: A shocking life? 10 things to know about surrealist fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli
Christian Dior & Hokusai (2007)
John Galliano’s Spring 2007 Couture collection for Dior explored a structural homage to Japanese art. Rather than applying a graphic print of Katsushika Hokusai’s “Under the Wave off Kanagawa”, Galliano translated the power and curve of the Edo-period woodblock print into the silhouette of the garments. The collars and skirts featured intricate folding and pleating techniques to create massive white and blue crests. These fabric waves mimicked the foam and spray found in the original 19th-century artwork. By turning the wave into a physical form, the collection demonstrated that fashion is art through the medium of architectural tailoring.
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Elsa Schiaparelli & Salvador Dalí (1937)
The collaboration between Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí resulted in the 1937 Lobster Dress, a foundational example of Surrealist fashion. This white silk organza evening gown featured a large red lobster painted by Dalí. The placement of the crustacean was intentionally provocative, reflecting the Surrealist interest in the subconscious and the juxtaposition of mundane objects with formal elegance. When worn by Wallis Simpson for a photoshoot in Vogue, the dress functioned as a piece of avant-garde social commentary. This garment remains a primary reference point for those arguing that fashion is art due to its direct origin in the Surrealist movement.
Yves Saint Laurent & Piet Mondrian (1965)
The Fall/Winter 1965 collection by Yves Saint Laurent introduced the Mondrian shift dress, which became one of the most recognised intersections of fashion and fine art. Saint Laurent adapted Piet Mondrian’s Neo-Plasticist paintings, specifically “Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow”, to a sleeveless wool dress. The design relied on complex construction and hidden seams to ensure the rigid black grids and primary colour blocks remained undistorted by the curves of the body. This approach turned the wearer into a walking canvas, further solidifying the belief that fashion is art within the context of 20th-century modernism.
Viktor & Rolf & Action Painting (2015)
For their Fall 2015 Wearable Art show, Viktor & Rolf explored the physical boundaries between a canvas and a garment.The collection drew inspiration from Action Painting and the techniques of artists like Jackson Pollock. Models appeared in rigid, gilded frames that held splattered fabrics reminiscent of a studio floor. During the presentation, the designers unhooked these frames from the models and hung them on a gallery wall. This performance piece highlighted the literal transition of a garment from a 3D object of dress to a 2D piece of wall art, questioning the traditional definition of utility in clothing.
Moschino & Pablo Picasso (2020)
Jeremy Scott’s Spring 2020 collection for Moschino served as a tribute to the Cubist movement led by Pablo Picasso. The garments were designed to look like flat, distorted paintings, utilising stiffened fabrics to create two-dimensional effects on the human form. Scott incorporated painted brushstrokes and asymmetrical shapes that directly referenced Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d'Avignon”. By deconstructing the subject and presenting it from multiple angles at once, the collection successfully translated the aesthetic philosophy of Cubism into a modern wardrobe, proving that fashion is art when it challenges the viewer's perception of perspective and volume.
Alexander McQueen & Hieronymus Bosch (2010)
In his final collection, titled Angels and Demons, Alexander McQueen looked to the Northern Renaissance for inspiration. He utilized digital printing to wrap the body in scenes from Hieronymus Bosch’s 15th-century triptych, “The Garden of Earthly Delights”. These intricate and chaotic depictions of heaven and hell were applied to highly structured garments, including jackets and gowns. The collection bridged the gap between the religious awe of the Late Gothic period and the precision of modern tailoring. McQueen’s use of these historical masterpieces allowed the garments to carry a narrative weight usually reserved for museum-quality paintings.
Rodarte and Vincent van Gogh (2012)
The Spring 2012 collection from Rodarte, designed by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, focused on the textural and emotional qualities of Vincent van Gogh’s post-impressionist works. The designers translated the thick, impasto brushstrokes of paintings like “The Starry Night” and “Sunflowers” into tactile textiles. This was achieved through the use of layered silk, sequins and intricate embroidery that mimicked the swirling movement of oil paint. The aesthetic went beyond visual reproduction by using fabric manipulation to replicate the physical depth and intensity of Van Gogh’s canvases. By capturing the turbulent energy of the artist’s hand, the collection reaffirmed that fashion is art when it focuses on the visceral experience of the medium.
Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
