The follow up to the Met’s 2021 exhibition In America: A Lexicon of Fashion has been officially announced. In America: An Anthology of Fashion will run from May- September 2022 at the Met with the gala being held on May 2nd. As the New York Times Vanessa Friedman put it: "This one is going to be very dressed-up indeed."
The ‘Gilded Glamour’ theme of the gala is based upon the period between the 1870s and the 1900’s, the so called ‘Gilded Age’ in which rapid industrialization and the construction of the railroads led to economic growth and an increase in immigration to fufill the need for unskilled labour. Many prospered, but it was also an era of abject poverty for the working class and the distribution of wealth became significantly more unequal.
The term ‘Gilded Age’ was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner meaning a period that was glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath.
An Anthology of Fashion is expected to “center the laborers of the era, highlighting individual designers and dressmakers who worked in the U.S. from the 19th century to the mid-late 20th century. “
The fashion and entertainment industries will be well represented. Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Regina King will be serving as co-chairs alongside honorary co-chairs Anna Wintour, Tom Ford and Adam Mosseri.
America: An Anthology of Fashion runs from May 7th- September 5th 2022.
