Coinciding with International Women’s Day on March 8, the timely exhibition celebrates the creativity and artistic legacy of women designers
(New York, February 7, 2024)—The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today that The Costume Institute’s fall 2023 exhibition, Women Dressing Women, will be extended through March 10, 2024, coinciding with International Women’s Day on March 8 and the launch of Women’s History Month celebrations at the Museum. A suite of educational programs will accompany the final weeks of the show’s run, including a discussion on March 1 titled Empowerment Through Practice in Fashion, which will feature a panel of experts and advocates working in the areas of accessible and sustainable fashion.
Originally scheduled to close on March 3, Women Dressing Women traces a lineage of women makers from the turn of the 20th century to the present by highlighting celebrated designers along with new voices and forgotten histories. With nearly half of the show’s works on view for the first time, it presents more than 80 objects from The Costume Institute’s permanent collection that document the work of more than 70 makers, celebrating influential women-led fashion houses and the pioneering designers who led them.
The exhibition and catalogue are made possible by Morgan Stanley.
The Family Afternoon program on Sunday, February 11, will feature drop-in fashion-related hands-on activities for families with children of all ages and abilities.
On February 15, Picture This! will offer a behind-the-scenes look at highlights from the exhibition for visually impaired audiences. Mellissa Huber, co-curator of the exhibition and Associate Curator of The Costume Institute, will be joined by Shelly Tarter, Assistant Collections Manager, and Izabel Cockrum, Virginia Barbato Intern, for an in-person exhibition talk that engages visitors through touch, incorporating detailed descriptions and materials.
A Met Expert Talk, held in the galleries, will offer visitors a chance to hear directly from Costume Institute staff who worked on the exhibition. Huber will provide insights on some of the exhibition’s key themes and objects on February 20.
The popular Date Night at The Met evenings continue at the Museum, and on February 23, visitors will have a chance to learn more about the designer Ann Lowe through gallery chats celebrating Black History Month.
The March 1 panel discussion Empowerment Through Practice in Fashion will welcome Sinéad Burke, CEO and Founder, Tilting the Lens; Grace Jun, CEO and Board Member, Open Style Lab; and Amanda Lee, Senior Director of Market Access & Sourcing, Nest, for a conversation about accessibility, sustainability, and the collective nature of design. Huber will moderate the discussion following a series of short presentations.
Public tours are another way visitors can gain a deeper knowledge of the themes explored in the exhibition. They are offered weekdays from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m., and every other Sunday from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Museum Members have early-morning access to the galleries on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 to 10 a.m., before the Museum opens to the public.
Women Dressing Women is organized by Mellissa Huber, Associate Curator, The Costume Institute, and guest co-curator Karen Van Godtsenhoven. The show is accompanied by a catalogue published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Insightful essays that consider notions of anonymity, visibility, agency, and absence/omission reveal women’s impact within the field of fashion, highlighting celebrated designers and forgotten histories alike. Written by Huber and guest exhibition co-curator Karen Van Godtsenhoven with contributions by Amanda Garfinkel, Jessica Regan, Elizabeth Shaeffer, and Elizabeth Way; a preface by Andrew Bolton; and photography by Anna-Marie Kellen, the catalogue is distributed by Yale University Press and available for purchase from The Met Store.
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February 7, 2024
Contact: Alexandra Fizer, Mika Kiyono
Communications@metmuseum.org
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