Anna Wintour Costume Center

Anna Wintour Costume Center

Savage Beauty Exhibition, 2011
Location within New York City
Established	2014
Location	1000 5th Avenue, New York City, NY 10028
Coordinates	40°46′46″N 73°57′47″W / 40.779447°N 73.96311°W
Director	Andrew Bolton[1]
Public transit access	Subway:   to 86th Street Bus: M1, M2, M3, M4, M79, M86
Website	Official website

The Anna Wintour Costume Center is a wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that houses the collection of the Costume Institute. The center is named after Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, artistic director of Condé Nast, and chair of the museum's annual Met Gala since 1995. It was endowed by Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch.^[2] The curator is Andrew Bolton.^[3]

The center was formally opened by the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama on May 5, 2014.^[4] Many famous people, such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Zac Posen, Ralph Lauren, and Donatella Versace, were at the center's opening.^[5][6][7][8]

History

In 1902, Irene and Alice Lewisohn became teenage heiresses and decided to join other wealthy New York friends in community work. They began to spend time at the Henry Street Settlement House in New York, a community center devoted to the integration of immigrant families and since 1909 host to summer camps for girls and boys from underprivileged New York families. Alice, who acted in plays herself, began working as a drama teacher, while Irene devoted herself to dance productions. While at the Settlement House they also began to present performances and in 1915, the sisters joined Rita Wallach Morgenthau to build and found the Neighborhood Playhouse on the corner of Grand and Pitt Streets, where between 1915 and 1927, the theater presented plays by Shaw, Joyce, and Dunsany.

Robe à la française 1740s, as seen in one of the exhibits at the Costume Institute

Now called the Abrons Arts Center, the theater continues to showcase many Settlement arts programs. Aline Bernstein served her apprenticeship there from 1915-1924 designing costumes and stage sets. From 1928 the four women moved their operations to the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre at 340 East 54th Street. There it became an actor training school and students were offered a two-year program formal drama and dance training to become professionals. Both Gregory Peck and Anna Sokolow were students of Martha Graham there.

During their years of running the school theatre and producing plays, a body of knowledge was formed about acting, theater production, and costume, set and stage design. Eventually Irene opened a home for her library called the Museum of Costume Art on Fifth Avenue in 1937.^[9] Aline Bernstein helped her with the collection and presentation. After the war in 1946 it moved to the first floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in 1960 the two organizations merged, and the Met is now home to the Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library.

Since 1946, with help from the fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, the institute has hosted the annual Met Gala, to raise money for operating expenses.^[10]

In 2008, the American Costume Collection of the Brooklyn Museum merged into the Costume Institute, a cost-saving scheme coming after years of close collaboration between the two organizations. The collection of the Brooklyn museum is older, having been formed from private donations by former New York high society personalities, beginning with the donation in 1903 of an 1892 cream crepe dress worn by Kate Mallory Williams at her graduation from Brooklyn Heights Seminary.^[10] Prior to the move, 23,500 objects from the Brooklyn collection were digitized and these images are now shared by both organizations.^[11] At the time of the merger, the Met costume collection consisted of 31,000 objects from the 17th-century onwards.^[11] The opening exhibition in 2014 featured work by British-born designer Charles James, an important figure in New York fashion of the 1940s and 1950s and whose work is in the Brooklyn collection. ^[4]

On September 8, 2015, it was announced that Harold Koda would be stepping down from his position as Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute. Andrew Bolton, who had joined the Costume Institute in 2002 as associate curator and was made curator in 2006, was announced as his replacement.^[1]

In May 2016, the Costume Institute will feature an exhibition entitled "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology."^[12] The exhibition and the accompanying Costume Institute Gala will be sponsored by Apple.^[13][14][15]

List of exhibitions

• 1971–1972: Fashion Plate (October 1971 – January 1972)^[16][17]
• 1972–1973: Untailored Garments (January–July 1972)^[18][19]
• 1973–1974: The World of Balenciaga (March–September 1973)^[20]
• 1974–1975: Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design (November 1974 – August 1975)^[17][21]
• 1975–1976: American Women of Style (December 1975 – August 1976)^[17][22]
• 1976–1977: The Glory of Russian Costume (December 1976 – August 1977)^[17][23][24]
• 1977–1978: Vanity Fair: A Treasure Trove (December 1977– September 1978)^[17][25]
• 1978–1979: Diaghilev: Costumes and Designs of the Ballets Russes (November 1978 – June 1979)^[17]
• 1979–1980: Fashions of the Habsburg Era: Austria-Hungary (December 1979 – August 1980)^[17][26]
• 1980–1981: The Manchu Dragon: Costumes of China, the Chi'ng Dynasty (December 1980 – August 1981)^[17]
• 1981–1982: The Eighteenth-Century Woman (December 1981 – September 1982)^[17][27][28]
• 1982–1983: Le Belle Époque (December 1982 – September 1983)^[17][29]
• 1983–1984: Yves Saint Laurent: 25 Years of Design (December 1983 – September 1984)^[17][30]
• 1984–1985: Man and the Horse (December 1984 – September 1985)^[17][31]
• 1985–1986: Costumes of Royal India (December 1985 – August 1986)^[17][32]
• 1986–1987: Dance (December 1986 – September 1987)^[17][33]
• 1987–1988: In Style: Celebrating Fifty Years of the Costume Institute (November 1987 – April 1988)^[17][34]
• 1988–1989: From Queen to Empress: Victorian Dress 1837–1877 (December 1988 – April 1989)^[17][35]
• 1989–1990: The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire, 1789–1815 (December 1989 – April 1990)^[17]
• 1990–1991: Théâtre de la Mode – Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture (December 1990 – April 1991)^[17]
• 1991–1992: Gala held, but no concurrent costume exhibition ^[36]
• 1992–1993: Fashion and History: A Dialogue (December 1992 – March 1993)^[17][37]
• 1993–1994: Diana Vreeland: Immoderate Style (December 1993 – March 1994)^[17][38]
• 1994–1995: Orientalism: Visions of the East in western dress (December 1994 – March 1995)^[17][39][40]
• 1995–1996: Haute Couture (December 1995 – March 1996)^[17][41]
• 1996–1997: Christian Dior (December 1996 – March 1997)^[17][42][43]
• 1997–1998: Gianni Versace (December 1997 – March 1998)^{[17][44][45][46]}
• 1998–1999: Cubism and Fashion (December 10, 1998 – March 14, 1999)^[17][47]
• 1999–2000: Rock Style (December 9, 1999 – March 19, 2000)^[17][48]
• 2000–2001: No costume exhibition presented ^[49]
• 2001: Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years (May 1 –July 29, 2001)^[17][50]
• 2001–2002: No costume exhibition gala presented ^[49]
• 2003: Goddess: The Classical Mode (May 1 – August 3, 2003)^[17][51]
• 2004: Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century (April 2?, –August 8, 2004)^[17][52]
• 2005: The House of Chanel (May 5 –August 7, 2005)^[17][53]
• 2006: AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion (May 3 –September 6, 2006)^[17][54]
• 2007: Poiret: King of Fashion (May 9 –August 5, 2007)^[17][55][56]
• 2008: Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy (May 7 –September 1, 2008)^[17][57][58]
• 2009: The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion (May 6 –August 9, 2009)^{[17][59][60][61]}
• 2010: American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity (May 5 –August 10, 2010)^{[17][62][63][64]}
• 2011: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (May 4 –August 7, 2011) ^{[17][65][66][67]}
• 2012: Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations (May 10 –August 19, 2012)^[68]
• 2013: Punk: Chaos to Couture (May 9 –August 14, 2013)^[69][70]
• 2014: Charles James: Beyond Fashion (May 8 –August 10, 2014)^[71][72][73]
• 2014-2015: Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire (October 21, 2014 - February 1, 2015)^[74]
• 2015: China: Through the Looking Glass• (May 7 – September 7, 2015)^[75]
• 2015-2016: Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style (November 19, 2015 - February 21, 2016)^[76]
• 2016: Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology^[77]

•China: Through the Looking Glass is the most visited exhibition in the Center's history with 815,992 visitors (fifth most visited in the Museum's history). Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty is the second most visited with 661,509 visitors (ninth most visited in the Museum's History).^[78]

References

1. http://www.metmuseum.org/press/news/2015/harold-koda-retirement
2. Karimzadeh, Marc (14 January 2014). "Met Names Costume Institute Complex in Honor of Anna Wintour". WWD. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
3. Trebay, Guy (29 April 2015). "At the Met, Andrew Bolton Is the Storyteller in Chief". New York Times. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
4. Karimzadeh, Marc (5 May 2014). "Michelle Obama Cuts the Ribbon at Anna Wintour Costume Center". WWD. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
5. "Michelle Obama to open Anna Wintour's Met costume center". Usatoday.com. 2014-04-30. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
6. "First lady of fashion Anna Wintour gets teary as First Lady Michelle Obama honors her at the Met". NY Daily News. 2006-03-17. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
7. Tiffany Yannetta. "Inside the Anna Wintour Costume Center's Charles James Exhibit - Afternoon at the Museum - Racked NY". Ny.racked.com. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
8. "Michelle Obama Cuts the Ribbon for New Anna Wintour Costume Center - Speakeasy - WSJ". Blogs.wsj.com. 2012-04-17. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
9. "1944". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-12-16. Philanthropist Irene Lewisohn died today in New York City. She and her sister Alice built and endowed the Neighborhood Playhouse. With Aline Bernstein she founded the Museum of Costume Art on Fifth Avenue in 1937.
10. Brooklyn Museum’s Costume Treasures Going to the Met, New York Times article in December 2008
11. Collection of the Brooklyn Museum costumes on Artstor
12. http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2016/manus-x-machina
13. "Jony Ive talks intersection of fashion and tech ahead of Apple-sponsored Met Gala". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
14. "Apple to sponsor 2016 Met Gala, CDO Jony Ive to host as cochair". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
15. http://www.vogue.com/13400049/metropolitan-museum-of-art-manus-x-machina-exhibit-book/
16. Cavallo, Adolph S (October 1971). Stoddart, Katherine, ed. "Fashion Plate: An Opening Exhibition for the New Costume Institute" (PDF). The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. 30 (1): 5. doi:10.2307/3258574. Retrieved 2014-05-23. To salute the fashion industry of New York, whose tireless efforts and financial contributions were instrumental in making the new Costume Institute a reality, the Museum will present Fashion Plate in the Costume Institute in the fall of 1971...Fashion Plate will be the first of these gallery installations – the inaugural exhibition.
17. "Museum Exhibitions 1870–2012" (PDF). Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
18. "Costume Institute opens new exhibition" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. January 1972. Retrieved 2014-05-23. The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art opens its second exhibition on Wednesday, January 26. Entitled Untailored Garments it presents a diverse assemblage of clothing—mostly non-European in origin—which is folded and draped on the human body rather than cut and seamed.
19. "Around Town:Museums". New York: 26. June 19, 1972. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
20. Martin, Richard; Koda, Harold (1993). Diana Vreeland: Immoderate Style. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 15. ISBN 9780870996917. OCLC 29315100. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
21. "In and Around Town:Museums". New York: 26. August 25, 1975. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
22. "New Costume Institute exhibition, American women of style, to open at Metropolitan Museum December 13" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. December 1975. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
23. "Museum to Exhibit Old Russian Clothes". Palm Beach Daily News. November 9, 1975. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
24. "History of Russian costume from the eleventh to the twentieth century : from the collections of the Arsenal Museum, Leningrad ; Hermitage, Leningrad ; Historical Museum, Moscow ; Kremlin Museums, Moscow ; Pavlovsk Museum / [catalogue compiled by T.S. Alyoshina, I.I. Vishnevskaya, L.V. Efimova, T.T. Korshunova. V.A. Malm, E. Yu. Moiseenko, M.M. Postnokova-Loseva, E.P. Chernukha]". Retrieved 2014-05-24.
25. "Treasure trove of costumes". St. Petersburg Times. November 2, 1977. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
26. Cone, Polly, ed. (1980). The Imperial Style: Fashions of the Hapsburg Era: Based on the Exhibition "Fashions of the Hapsburg era, Austria-Hungary" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, December 1979 – August 1980. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 0870992325. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
27. Morris, Bernadine (December 8, 1981). "18th Century Sparks Gala Fashion Night". Retrieved 27 May 2014.
28. Leon Talley, Andre (December 6, 1981). "Vreeland's Show". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
29. Duka, John (December 7, 1982). "La Belle Europe Reigns Again At Met Museum". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
30. Morris, Bernadine (December 6, 1983). "Gala Night at Met Hails Saint Laurent". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
31. Morris, Bernadine (December 4, 1984). "At Costume Institute Show, Equestrian is the Theme". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
32. Morris, Bernadine (December 10, 1985). "A Celebration of Royal India's Fashions". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
33. Morris, Bernadine (December 10, 1986). "Amid Costumes A Little Night Music". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
34. Morris, Bernadine (December 8, 1997). "Spectacular outfits abound at 15th annual costume gala". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
35. Morris, Bernadine (December 6, 1988). "Costume Show: Victorian Elegance". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
36. "In Decked Halls, Wassails". New York Times. December 15, 1991. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
37. Morris, Bernadine (December 8, 1992). "Review/Fashion; Costume Change At the Met". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
38. "EVENING HOURS; The Ladies in Red". New York Times. December 12, 1993. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
39. Orientalism: Visions of the East in Western Dress. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 0870997335.
40. Dullea, Georgia (September 25, 1994). "Glamour Guys for the Ball". New York Time. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
41. Brozan, Nadine (October 9, 1995). "Chronicle". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
42. "USA: NEW YORK: CHRISTIAN DIOR'S COSTUME INSTITUTE GALA". Associated Press. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
43. Brozan, Nadine (August 1, 1996). "Chronicle". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
44. DiGiacomo, Frank (December 15, 1997). "Inside the sold-out Costume Institute gala". New York. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
45. Menkes, Suzy (December 9, 1997). "The Verve and Vivacity of Versace in Met Retrospective". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
46. C.R. White, Constance (December 11, 1997). "At the Met, a Golden Melting Pot". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
47. "CUBISM AND FASHION" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. November 2, 1998. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
48. "ROCK STYLE IS THEME FOR METROPOLITAN MUSEUM'S DECEMBER COSTUME INSTITUTE EXHIBITION" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. December 3, 1999. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
49. "Costume Institute Gala Returns". BizBash. July 31, 2002. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
50. "JACQUELINE KENNEDY: THE WHITE HOUSE YEARS" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. November 13, 2000. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
51. "Goddess to be Theme of Costume Institute's Spring 2003 Exhibition and Gala at Metropolitan Museum" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. May 2003. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
52. Menkes, Suzy (April 27, 2004). "Voluptuous lives, 'Dangerous Liaisons'". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
53. "Metropolitan Museum to Present Unprecedented Chanel Exhibition" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. May 2005. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
54. "AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. April 22, 2006. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
55. ""Poiret: King of Fashion" at Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute to Celebrate Paul Poiret, Visionary Artist-Couturier of Early 20th Century" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. April 22, 2006. Retrieved 2014-05-26.
56. "Poiret's Descendents". http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/. New York Times. May 8, 2007. Retrieved 2014-05-24. External link in |work= (help)
57. "Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Salutes Power of "Superheroes" Imagery in Fashion" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. May 2008. Retrieved 2014-05-26.
58. Wilson, Eric (May 6, 2008). "Stars and Superheroes Sparkle at Museum Gala". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
59. "The Model as Muse Embodying Fashion". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
60. "Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Explores Role of Fashion Models as Muses of Recent Eras" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. May 2009. Retrieved 2014-05-26.
61. Wilson, Eric (May 4, 2009). "A Museum Gala Where High Cheekbones and Higher Hemlines Rule". New York Times. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
62. ""American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity" at Metropolitan Museum to Open May 5, 2010; First Costume Institute Exhibition Based on Renowned Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. May 3, 2010. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
63. Horyn, Cathy (May 3, 2010). "American Women on the March". New York Times. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
64. Menkes, Suzy (May 3, 2010). "Elegance Is the Norm at Costume Institute Gala". New York Times. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
65. "Alexander McQueen's Iconic Designs to be Celebrated in a Spring 2011 Costume Institute Retrospective". Metropolitan Museum of Art. February 1, 2010. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
66. Menkes, Suzy (May 2, 2011). "Alexander McQueen in All His Dark Glory". New York Times. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
67. Forrester, Sharon. "Met Ball 2011". vogue.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
68. "Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada's Impossible Conversations at Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. May 7, 2012. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
69. "Punk Fashion Is Focus of Costume Institute Exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. May 9, 2013. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
70. Armstrong, Lisa (May 7, 2013). "Met Ball 2013: The Punk Parade". Telegraph. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
71. "Charles James: Beyond Fashion May 8 – August 10, 2014" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. April 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
72. Trebay, Guy (May 7, 2014). "Inside the Met Ball: Sculptures in Silk". New York Times. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
73. Moore, Booth. "Met Costume Institute Gala: Beyond fashion indeed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
74. http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2014/death-becomes-her
75. "China: Through the Looking Glass: Costume Institute's Spring 2015 Exhibition at Metropolitan Museum to Focus on Chinese Imagery in Art, Film, and Fashion" (Press release). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. April 14, 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
76. http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/jacqueline-de-ribes
77. "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology". New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2016-05-02. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
78. http://www.artnews.com/2015/09/12/a-look-at-the-mets-top-ten-most-visited-exhibitions-of-all-time/

External links

• Charles James: Beyond Fashion link to the 2014 opening exhibition, honoring the work of Charles James
• Guide to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Digital collections of the Costume Institute