Voice of London

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has announced the theme of the highly anticipated 2020 Met Gala and the accompanying Costume Institute exhibition: “About Time: Fashion and Duration.”

The exhibition will focus around the concept of time and will showcase an archival of 160 pieces of women’s clothing spanning 150 years, and presented through a lens of evolution. 

Some of the pieces will offer a connection between eras and generations. For example, a black silk faille princess-line dress from the late 1870s will be paired with an Alexander McQueen “Bumster” skirt from 1995.

The Met says the theme was influenced by French philosopher Henri Bergson’s concept of “la duree” – time that flows, accumulates and is indivisible.

2020 will be the Met’s 150th anniversary. Exhibition curator Andrew Bolton said in a statement, “It not only reflects and represents the spirit of the times, but it also changes and develops with the times, serving as an especially sensitive and correct timepiece. Through a series of chronologies, the exhibition will use the concept of duration to analyse the temporal twists and turns of fashion history.”

One of fashion’s most important events of the year, the annual invite-only gala fundraiser will be co-chaired this year by Nicolas Ghesquiere of Louis Vuitton, Emma Stone, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour.

Each year celebrities have interpreted past themes in a variety of creative ways. Next year’s abstract theme should be no different. The biggest night in fashion is sure to bring out unusual and obscure costume ideas.

This years theme follows past themes such as “Camp” and “Catholicism”.

The renowned benefit will take place May 4, 2020, with the Costume Institute’s Spring exhibition, About Time: Fashion and Duration, will be open to the public from May 7 through to September 7, 2020. 

Words: Jess Pennell

Photo: Canva