Metropolitan Museum's Spring Show Explores Camp Through Fashion
On May 9, 2019, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will unveil its spring exhibition titled 'Camp: Notes on Fashion,' drawing inspiration from Susan Sontag's 1964 essay. Sontag's work delves into the concept of camp, highlighting its affinity for artifice and exaggeration. Curator Andrew Bolton referred to her as 'the ghost narrator' for the exhibit. The initial section focuses on the political aspects of camp, featuring Chanel's 1987 collection by Karl Lagerfeld, while the second section presents items that align with Sontag's 58 criteria, showcasing designers like Worth, Balenciaga, Prada, and Gvasalia, with Donald Trump representing a camp figure. The exhibition, comprising 175 pieces, will be on display until September 8, 2019, at 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' opens May 9, 2019 at the Met's Costume Institute
- Title inspired by Susan Sontag's 1964 essay on camp
- Curator Andrew Bolton calls Sontag the 'ghost narrator' of the show
- First section explores camp's political use by Louis XIV at court
- Second section aligns items with Sontag's 58 criteria
- 175 pieces on display including works by Worth, Balenciaga, Prada, Gvasalia
- Donald Trump cited as a contemporary camp figure
- Main sponsor Gucci; Alessandro Michele comments on Sontag's essay
- Catalog features Oscar Wilde quote
- Exhibition runs May 9 to September 8, 2019
Entities
Artists
- Susan Sontag
- Busby Berkeley
- Mae West
- Charles de Gaulle
- Caravaggio
- Louis XIV
- Karl Lagerfeld
- Charles Frederick Worth
- Balenciaga
- Miuccia Prada
- Demna Gvasalia
- Donald Trump
- Oscar Wilde
- Alessandro Michele
- Mina
- Patty Pravo
- Raffaella Carrà
- Jeremy Scott
- Andrew Bolton
- Anna Wintour
Institutions
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Costume Institute
- Chanel
- Gucci
- Moschino
- Artribune
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Versailles
- France
- Italy