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LIZ HEATHER

June 6, 2025

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style - The Met's 2025 Costume Exhibit

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC


“The Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition presents a cultural and historical examination of Black style over three hundred years through the concept of dandyism. In the 18th-century Atlantic world, a new culture of consumption, fueled by the slave trade, colonialism, and imperialism, enabled access to clothing and goods that indicated wealth, distinction, and taste. Black dandyism sprung from the intersection of African and European style traditions.”
— The Met

This display is maddening, EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE THINGS AT EYE LEVEL

Okay, it was a perfectly fine exhibit. (Can you sense my subtle annoyance?) My major problems were these…

  • WHY IS EVERYTHING LIT SO OMINOUSLY? I’ve had this issue with exhibits from the past and it’s so infuriating. Also, the majority of these garments are dark colours so why would you showcase them against dark backgrounds? Dark colours pop against light backgrounds and vice versa. This is… science?

  • The entire exhibit was a tenth of the size compared with exhibits from other years.

  • Why was it focused solely on male tailoring? Especially when they certainly had the space to include more.

That being said there were definitely gorgeous pieces.

House of Balmain, Olivier Rousteing, pre-fall 2023

Jeffrey Banks, ca. 1980

Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh, autumn/winter 2021-2022

Progress Tailoring Co., 1940-1945

Zoot suit, ca. 1943

Oh and one more issue - STOP PUTTING PIECES TOO HIGH SO PEOPLE CAN’T SEE THE DETAILS ON THEM (see below).

Infuriating, there’s absolutely no reason for this nonsensical placement

Why in the hell would these be displayed like this?? It makes zero sense. All in all, the exhibition was only all right this year. Definitely not a must-see (unlike last year’s).

The exhibit is open now until October 26, 2025.

And since I was already there, I saw the new rooftop exhibit Ensemble by Jennie C. Jones (on view until October 19, 2025) since it’s the last rooftop commission until at least 2030.

Ensemble by Jennie C. Jones, The Met rooftop 2025

The large sculptures are “based on string instruments that are supposed to play sounds activated only by the wind” - which sounds great, but I was there on an extremely windy day and didn’t hear anything. I respect the effort, though.

Ensemble by Jennie C. Jones, The Met rooftop 2025

And look, it sounds like I’m overly picky but I think it’s just because nothing will ever top the Jeff Koons rooftop pieces from 2008. Oh! And lastly, look at this adorable dog kennel that was made for Marie Antoinette’s dog. In love.

Kennel made for the dog of Marie Antoinette, ca. 1775-1780

Past fashion exhibits I’ve seen at The Met:

2024 - Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion

2023 - Women Dressing Women

2023 - Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty

2022 - In America (Part Two): An Anthology of Fashion

2021 - In America (Part One): A Lexicon of Fashion (as well as the updated Part One that a few months later)

2019 - Camp: Notes on Fashion

2018 - Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination (not a full post, but a brief summary)

2016 - Manus x Machine: Fashion in an Age of Technology

I’ve also written about the Thierry Muglar exhibit as well as the Christian Dior one (both at the Brooklyn Museum).

TAGS: The Met Roof Exhibit, The Met rooftop, The Met new exhibit, The Met Gala, The Met fashion, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Met fashion pieces, The Met, The Met 2025, The Met exhibit 2025, The Met Roof Garden 2025, The Met Costume Institute, The Met fashion exhibit 2025, The Met Costume Exhibit 2025, Liz Heather, Marie Antoinette dog kennel, rooftop terrace NYC, rooftop garden 2025, Jennie C. Jones, Jennie C. Jones The Met, zoot suit, Progress Tailoring Co, Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh, Jeffrey Banks, House of Balmain, Olivier Rousteing, mens fashion, mens fashion The Met 2025, mens fashion The Met, costume exhibit 2025, costume exhibit NYC, NYC fashion exhibit, Superfine, Superfine The Met, Superfine The Met 2025, Tailoring Black Style, Tailoring Black Style The Met 2025


May 30, 2022

In America: A Lexicon of Fashion at The Met (Updated Pieces!)

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC


So I already reviewed this exhibit, but I went back recently and it’s been updated with new pieces! Why would they do this? The only reason I can come up with is because part two of the exhibit (that came out a few weeks ago) was so revoltingly done that they had to save face. Makes sense! Favourites ahead.

Marc Jacobs, Autumn/Winter 2020

Are we kidding here? All those shades of lilac? Heavenly and way too much fun.

Anne Fogarty, Autumn/Winter 1962-1963

Warmth & elegance at once!

Jamie Okuma, 2021

I think my favourite part of this one is the neckline. One day necklines will be deemed important again and on that day, I will rejoice.

Adolfo, 1973-1974

This yellow frock SHOULD seem matronly, but somehow it isn’t? The simple sweetness of it is contagious.

Vaquera, Autumn/Winter 2019

If there isn’t humour in fashion, we might as well all kill ourselves.

Lùchen, Spring/Summer 2022

Honestly kind of shocked we haven’t seen Rihanna wear this yet. Oh to be taking an accidental nap on a porch swing in this beauty.

Oscar de la Renta, Autumn/Winter 2021-2022

A definite favourite of this whole collection, it’s so full of whimsy. A walking garden, what could be better.

Virgil Abloh, 2022

I really did gasp at this one as soon as I saw it. Romantic, modern pieces like this make me believe in magic. It reminded me immediately of the Rodarte piece (that was displayed in this same exhibit late last year). Breath-taking, even with the basic-ness of the top - it’s letting the skirt shine even stronger.

Collina Strada, Autumn/Winter 2019

God, this would be fun to wear. It’s kind of insane alone (still beautiful), but with some giant long coat on top? Or, oh god, something with feathers?? You’d be unstoppable.

threeASFOUR, Autumn/Winter 2019-2020

I spent at least five minutes staring at this one. It’s fucking ART.

God, this whole updated collection was incredible. It’s wild what proper lighting and display areas will do, who would have thought? Both parts of the exhibit are on display until September 5th.

I also wrote more about each piece on my spring ‘22 highlight reel on Instagram (more specifically where I would wear each of these gorgeous pieces), incase you’re interested.

TAGS: In America, In America exhibit, The Met, The Met fashion, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Marc Jacobs, Anne Fogarty, Liz Heather, fashion, Jamie Okuma, Adolfo, Vaquera, Luchen, Oscar de la Renta, Virgil Abloh, Collina Strada, Threeasfour, costume exhibit, The Met Costume Institute, best of NYC, NYC, New York City