The Met , Camp : Notes on Fashion

The Metropolitan Musem of Art in New York is hosting  the exhibition, Camp: Notes on Fashion, starting May 9^th, 2019. And, as tradition goes, was preceded by the Costume Institute Benefit, also known as The Met Gala, on May 6^th at Met Fifth Avenue, with the participation of Lady Gaga, Alessandro Michele, Serena Williams, and Anna Wintour.The exhibition is inspired by the origins of the concept of camp, intended as an aesthetic category that evolved from kitsch and that has been revaluated by pop cultures, becoming a style that influenced different forms of artistic expressions and lifestyles. Susan Sontag’s essay, Notes on Camp, first published in 1964, was the starting point for the exhibition. Her analysis on how fashion designers used their craft and talent as a means to evolve this concept in the most compelling and incongruous variations is, indeed, valuable. According to Max Hollein, director of the Met, the exhibition will embody the ironic sensibility of this style, challenging the conventional understanding of beauty and taste. 175 pieces on display among men’s and women’s clothing, sculptures, paintings, and drawings from the 17^th century till today tell how the elements of irony, humor, parody, and artifice are expressed in fashion. The designers whose works will be shown at the Met include John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gucci, Thierry Mugler, Versace, Moschino, Elsa Schiapparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, and Marc Jacobs.

Camp: Notes on Fashion will be open from May 9^th to September 8^th, 2019 at The Met Fifth Avenue in New York.