Two Major Fashion Exhibitions Open in New York at Brooklyn Museum and Met

New York's Brooklyn Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art are hosting two major fashion exhibitions. At the Brooklyn Museum, "Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams" features over 200 garments from Dior archives, accessories, vintage perfumes, sketches, and archival videos. The show traces the house's creative directors from Yves Saint Laurent to Maria Grazia Chiuri, with a narrative framing Dior as almost an American invention due to his success in the US market. A dedicated gallery highlights fashion photographers including Horst P. Horst, Irving Penn, and Annie Leibovitz. The exhibition is supported by a $50 million donation from Mayor Bill de Blasio to the Brooklyn Museum. At the Met, "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" presents over 100 designers across 12 emotional themes such as Nostalgia, Belonging, and Joy. Each mannequin displays a word reflecting the garment's sentiment, e.g., Ralph Lauren's flag dress labeled "idealism" and Virgil Abloh's Off-White piece labeled "affinity." The show aims to elevate American fashion's expressive qualities. Both exhibitions run through early 2022.