42 marieclaire.com.auoriginally sought to cover Judaism,
Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and
Hinduism. Aside from the vastness of
this subject matter, stoking up religious
sensitivities in an age of extremism was
perhaps wisely avoided. If you thought
the second Sex and the City movie was
crass for its patronising portrayal of
Muslim women and their burqas, can
you imagine the furore that could be
caused by an examination of the dress of
followers of Islam? Niqab versus nun’s
habit? Definitely best avoided. Catholi-
cism, largely due to a great number of
notable Catholic designers, is an endur-
ing theme of Western fashion, not to
mention the faith’s own predilection for
elaborate robes and accoutrements.
Bolton explains that the relation-
ship and collaboration between fashion
and religion, while often “complex and
contested ... has produced some of the
most inventive and innovative creations
in the history of fashion”.
The show will marry 21st-century
style with related pieces from the muse-
um’s religious art collection, as well as
about 40 ecclesiastical masterworks
(papal vestments and accessories, such
as rings and tiaras from the 18th to 21st
century) on loan from the Sistine Chap-
el sacristy, many of which have neverfirst, while Beyoncé has often been a
closing act. The Met Museum’s grand
staircase, swathed in its red carpet, is
the ultimate backdrop, and the level of
detail that goes into the planning is leg-
endary. There are even canapé diktats:
no parsley, as it sticks in teeth; no brus-
chetta, as it’ll make a mess of your dress.
Wintour and her team oversee designer
and celebrity pairings, approving what
they’ll wear. In the 2016 documentary
that immortalised the event, The First
Monday in May, Wintour is seen mov-
ing tables around and scrutinising the
seating plan, barking at one point,
“Harvey [Weinstein] won’t like that.”
(Shame that even Wintour doesn’t have
the power to turn back time.)T
his year’s show on May 7 will
be the biggest The Met has
ever constructed. To bring
these exhibitions to fruition,
two figures have worked tirelessly
behind the scenes: Harold Koda (who
started out assisting the legendary
editor Diana Vreeland when she was a
special consultant to the institute) and
Andrew Bolton, who became curator-
in-charge when Koda stepped down in
January 2016. Bolton had long consid-
ered looking at religion in fashion, andTHE YEAR THEY DID...
ANGLOMANIA, 2006
Actress Sarah Jessica Parker; model Lily Cole;
and designer Victoria Beckham.SAVAGE BEAUTY, 2011
Muse Daphne Guinness; and actresses
Eva Mendes and Blake Lively.PUNK, 2013
Models Anja Rubik and Cara Delevingne;
and singer Madonna.MANUS X MACHINA, 2016
Singer Solange Knowles; model Gigi Hadid and
singer Zayn Malik; and actress Lupita Nyong’o.SOCIETY