Early this morning, New York’s Metropolitan Museum announced that the theme for its next Costume Exhibit is to be ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’. The iconic fashion event, the Met Gala, is to be sponsored by Gucci and co-chaired by Serena Williams, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga and Anna Wintour.
For everyone wondering whether this theme means camp fires and marshmallows, the 2019 theme is inspired by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay Notes on “Camp”.
“Indeed the essence of Camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration. And Camp is esoteric — something of a private code, a badge of identity even, among small urban cliques.” (Excerpt from Notes on “Camp”).
The 2019 event “will explore the origins of the camp aesthetic and how it has evolved from a place of marginality to become an important influence on mainstream culture,” said the Met in a press release. “Notes on “Camp” provides the framework for the exhibition, which will examine how fashion designers have used their métier as a vehicle to engage with camp in a myriad of compelling, humorous, and sometimes incongruous ways.”
The museum has announced that the exhibit will feature around 175 objects, ranging from clothing and sculptures, to paintings and drawings, that explore the historical and contemporary interpretations of the theme.
Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld, Cristobal Balenciaga, Thom Browne, Versace and Prada are just some of the incredible designers that will be featured in the show held by the Metropolitan Museum.
The exhibit will run from May 9 to September 8, 2019. The Met Gala will be held on May 6 to showcase the invited A-listers’ best interpretation of the new theme, and to introduce the show to the rest of the fashion world.
Let us know your what your favourite Met Gala look is in the comments.
