Asserting the central role of the dressed body in art throughout history, this catalogue presents fashion as an essential expression of creativity and identity

Fashion transforms our bodies. Exploring this concept through idealized and actual body types across time, cultures, media, and contexts, this catalogue demonstrates how the clothed body is central to artistic expression and representation. Featuring contemporary and historic fashions that draw on a range of artistic inspirations—from Greek molded cuirass armor and carved Roman sculptures to manuscripts, enameled decorative figures, and grand painted canvases—this book explores symbolic and personal perspectives on the body through works by designers such as Madame Grès, Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens, and Madeleine Vionnet. The publication reevaluates Western European representations of the body through the lens of age, size, gender, and disability. Stunning new imagery by artist Julie Wolfe, photographer Paul Westlake, and stylist, editor, and designer Nathalie Agussol shows the connection between art and fashion through collage, overlay, and juxtaposition. Revealing how the body impacts the way we dress and understand ourselves and others, Costume Art establishes fashion’s role in the art history alongside painting, sculpture, photography, and other mediums. 
 
Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press

Exhibition Schedule:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(May 10, 2026–January 10, 2027)

Andrew Bolton is Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.