The theme for the Metropolitan Museum's 2026 Costume Institute Exhibition in New York City has been revealed—"Costume Art"—and it hopes to give an answer to the longstanding debate between fashion and art, where both are deserving of admiration and awe.

The 200-piece exhibit also looks to explore the distinct connection between the body and clothing, curating artworks that are an ode to the dressed body as seen in The Met's vast collection and juxtaposing them alongside garments from the Costume Institute.

The announcement was made during a press conference, where Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton was joined by Vogue Global Editorial Director Anna Wintour, who will oversee the 2026 Met Gala, as she has done in previous years, and by retired ballerina Misty Copeland.

For Bolton, the theme is significant, as "the dressed body is front and center in every gallery you come across. Even the nude is never naked. It’s always inscribed with cultural values and ideas.”

Copeland also weighed in, saying "our bodies are the first costume we wear, and we experience, but the costume is such a big part of the storytelling."

Bolton also announced that the exhibit will be focused on three thematic body types. First is the classical body or the nude body, as seen in most pieces of art. Second are what he considers to be bodies that are often overlooked - aging bodies and pregnant bodies, and lastly, the more universal form, which is the anatomical body. He describes this view as “...to put the body back into discussions about art and fashion, and to embrace the body, not to take it away as a way of elevating fashion to an art form.”

“Costume Art” opens at the Costume Institute on 10 May 2026, and will be the inaugural exhibition of their own newly dedicated 12,000-square-foot suite of galleries, adjacent to the Great Hall of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. In an interview with CNN, Bolton enthused that "it really recognizes the central role of fashion not just within the Met, but within culture."

The exhibit will be preceded by the annual fundraiser, the very well-dressed and star-studded Met Gala on 4 May. The co-chairs who will be joining Anna Wintour in leading the glamorous affair have yet to be announced.