...the metropolitan museum of art’s 2026 costume institute benefit...
new york, may 4, 2026
…one by one…
thom browne presents an examination of the body as a form in celebration of andrew bolton’s curation of costume art…
twelve bodies descend…
step by step…
contorting and angling…
a pose, a flash, a step…
a step… a step… a step...
together and separated…
every shape… every form…
dressed, undressed, and somewhere in-between…
a group of bodies closed off and laid bare…
...chase infiniti as the naked body...
chase wears an embroidered trompe l’oeil dress inspired by venus de milo. fully embroidered using over 1.5 million stacked sequins paired with tiered silk fringes in over 600 different colors layered to mimic brushstrokes, her look is paired with a black thom john 4-bar platform heel.
the body itself becomes the subject of art, as thom plays a trick on the viewer's eye with his portrayal of the human body.
...dwayne johnson as the mortal body...
dwayne wears a black 3-ply mohair tailcoat featuring over 350 meters of hand-pleated silk ribbons in a skeletal composition. the look is paired with a matching pleated skirt and trousers with a white silk faille vest, wing collared shirt and classic wingtip brogue boots in black pebble grain leather.
dwayne embodies thom’s vision of strength and elegance playing on the mortal and immortal duality of bodies past, present and future...
...finn wolfhard as the reclaimed body...
finn wears deconstructed tailoring in a black wool and white silk faille jacket, with trousers and a utility skirt belt in white wool, paired with wingtip boots. the white portions of the look are treated with abstract textural painting, effectively treating the fabric as a canvas. these appliqués were created by hand from woven tweeds, silk faille and organza, lace and muslin fabrics in shades of white.
by treating the fabric as a canvas, thom explores a cross section that uses collaging and distortion as a form of reclaiming the body.
...olivia wilde as the abstract body...
olivia wears an off-the-shoulder black duchess satin corset dress with an exposed tan leather pannier and petticoat in a cloud of 300 meters of tulle layers in off-white, nude and blush, paired with longwing brogue heels in black patent leather.
the gown is a dedication to the transformed silhouettes created through structured undergarments like corsets, panniers and bustles as tools of abstraction and artistic expression.
...bill skarsgård as the aging body...
bill wears an elongated patchwork tuxedo in wool and silk satin with a black cashmere vest, oversized peacoat in black coated cotton and shearling collar, silk faille tie and classic wingtip boots.
aging is represented through thom’s 25-year archive of fabrications, as seen through each hand-stitched patch that supports the overall construction of the garment and ultimately the body.
...skepta as the inscribed body...
skepta wears a white wool tailored jumpsuit with detailed hand-drawn satin stitch embroidery, custom developed and inspired by skepta’s own tattoo art, matching placement and scale on the jumpsuit to mimic the wearer’s personal tattoos. paired with black leather moto boots. the look uses over 4,500 meters of black thread for 500,000 finished stitches.
the inscribed body explores the skin itself as an artistic medium, connecting skepta’s look to a key theme in the museum’s exhibition.
...marcello hernandez as the classical body...
marcello wears a classic black herringbone double-breasted suit with black and white bullion tipping and longwing brogues in black pebble grain leather.
marcello represents thom’s vision of tailoring through a classic, clean and timeless silhouette.
...lindsey vonn as the classical body...
lindsey wears an embroidered deconstructed trompe-l'œil, marble-inspired dress with over 500,000 glass cut and bugle beads, in shades of white, grey, silver and clear crystal, featuring a delicate tulle underskirt in an assortment of white shades, and longwing brogue heels in white pebble grain leather.
lindsey’s dress is directly inspired by the metropolitan museum of art’s classical marble statues from the past, bringing thom’s vision into the present through a trick of the eye.
...adut akech as the pregnant body...
adut wears a sculptural black sequin off-the-shoulder jacket with a black sheer gathered tulle dress and spectator heels in soft patent leather.
inspired by birth and new beginnings, the look is constructed from lace, silk organza, cut glass beads and sculptured sequins. the lily of the valley flower, traditionally associated with may births, decorates the garment with over 1,100 handmade silk organza flowers. the inclusion of pink flowers is notable, hinting at the birth of a baby girl…
transformation awakens the senses, as thom explores the evolution of a garment through the physical changing of the body.
...amy sherald...
inspired by her painting, ‘miss everything (unsuppressed deliverance)’ (2014), amy wears a sleeveless floor-length pleated dress in navy wool combined with navy silk faille and white silk organza pleated inserts and a high slit feature, with above-the-elbow white leather gloves and wingtip pumps in white soft patent leather.
the polka dot appliqués are made from raised bicone crystals topped with a micro pearl detail.
in the most literal interpretation of fashion as art, an artist's hand comes to life merging the nuances of amy sherald’s work with the precision of thom’s tailoring.
