The 2024 Costume Institute exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” will use artificial intelligence and sensory simulation to bring centuries-old finery back to life. The exhibition will not only be visually stunning, but also evoke the senses by incorporating how the fashion pieces feel, move, sound, smell, and interact when being worn. Over 250 creations from luxury labels like Schiaparelli, Givenchy, and Balenciaga will be featured, including couture that is up to 400 years old and too fragile to display on mannequins. Select aged attire will be revived through various technologies such as AI, augmented reality, computer-generated imagery, video animation, light projection, and soundscapes.
Nick Knight and SHOWstudio, a UK fashion film house, will contribute to the high-tech activations in the exhibition, that will involve over 250 creations from luxury labels like Schiaparelli, Givenchy, and Balenciaga. The walls will be embossed with intricate embroidery, the floors animated with snakes, and the ceiling projection-mapped with blackbirds. Visitors will be taken through a sequence of three galleries dedicated to the elements of nature: earth, air, and water, each with its own unique sensory experience. Smellscapes composed by Norwegian fragrance researcher Sissel Tolaas will subtly stimulate guests’ olfactory senses.
Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson’s coat made with oat, rye, and wheatgrass will serve as the exhibition’s pièce de résistance, starting out “alive” and gradually “dying” during the exhibition. The delicate garments, or the “sleeping beauties,” such as an embroidered British waistcoat from the 1600s, will be displayed under glass cases, cheekily referred to as “coffins” by curator Andrew Bolton. These pieces that are normally not shown will allow visitors to appreciate the ephemerality of fashion. Charles James’ 1955 “Butterfly” ball gown will be displayed alongside its restored duplication, allowing viewers to see the original garment’s timeworn damages.
The exhibition will premiere at the Met Gala, with attendees such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, and Anna Wintour among others expected to attend the annual fund-raiser. The guests will be the first to experience the digitally influenced exhibition before it opens to the public on May 10. The official dress code for the Met Gala will be “The Garden of Time,” inspired by J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story, reflecting elements of fleeting beauty. Monies raised during the gala will go towards museum exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, and more.
“Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be a sensory experience bringing historical garments and contemporary fashions to life through technology. Through a combination of AI, sensory stimulation, and digital innovation, visitors will be able to engage with over 250 pieces from luxury labels and centuries-old couture. The immersive sensory experience will take guests through three galleries representing nature’s elements and showcase delicate garments under glass cases. The exhibition will be unveiled at the Met Gala, with attendees expected to embody the theme of fleeting beauty through their evening wear and contribute to the museum’s fundraising efforts.
