A new exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute is a stunning testament to the cyclical nature of fashion. In “Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion,” the museum shows off 60 of its most impressive pieces from the last three centuries, often juxtaposing newer outfits with the iconic silhouettes they echo.

For instance, a sweeping scarlet coat with oversized lapels and exaggerated coattails from John Galliano’s spring/summer 2015 collection for Maison Margiela is paired with a circa 1780 red wool broadcloth French style that inspired Galliano. A 1994 Azzedine Alaia dress shares space with a 1950s-era Charles James evening dress. “The pairs show the way fashion is inspired and influenced by the past,” Assistant Curator Jessica Regan said at a press preview of the exhibit, which runs until Feb. 5. “The artistry of the past can be enlivened by the fashion of today.”

The exhibit also serves as a stylish history lesson. “Our mission is to present fashion as a living art that interprets history, becomes part of the historical process and inspires subsequent art,” according to Andrew Bolton, curator in charge. As Regan put it, “Each [piece] stands as a visual expression of its time.” In the 18th century, fine textiles and surface embellishment were paramount for the well-heeled, Regan added. A perfect example of the era is a circa 1747 British robe à l’anglaise made of ivory silk, brocaded with three different types of silver thread. “Each reflects the light differently,” Regan said. “The dress was meant to glitter in the candlelight.”

A blue silk satin ball gown with a wasp waist and embroidered butterflies by Jean-Phillipe Worth demonstrates the 19th century emphasis on impeccable tailoring. And the masterworks chosen from the 20th and 21st centuries push the envelope conceptually or in their construction technique. An autumn/winter 2015-16 Victor & Rolf creation, for example, raises the question of whether fashion is art, the dress a gilt-framed “canvas” featuring appliquéd “paint splatters” and jacquard-woven images of famous paintings. Also on display is the punk-era “Venus” T-shirt covered in patches, chains and studs, created and worn by British designer Vivienne Westwood. “With new pieces, we must be especially mindful of passing fads,” Regan said, adding that the Costume Institute focuses on “designs that move fashion forward.”

This Victor & Rolf dress opens the "Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion" exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. The autumn/winter 2015-16 haute couture dress features silk embroidery and polychrome polyester jacquard appliqué, among other embellishments.

This circa 1747 British robe à l’anglaise is made of ivory silk, brocaded with three different types of silver thread, and is designed to glitter in the candlelight.

At left is a coat from the spring/summer 2015 Maison Margiela collection by John Galliano. At right is a circa 1780 red wool broadcloth coat from France. The Galliano coat is a reinterpretation of the dandified style of post-revolutionary France.

 

This autumn 1937 haute couture evening jacket features beading and embroidery. It was a collaboration between Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli and French artist Jean Cocteau. 

These 2016 Thom Browne outfits are reinterpretations of classic 1950s and '60s tailoring. The suit on the left was created through intricate hand-piecing of fabric. The one on the right features silk appliqué. 

At left is an autumn/winter 2014-15 Tom Ford "football jersey" dress embroidered with plastic sequins and trimmed with rayon velvet. At right is a Pop-art fueled evening dress from Geoffrey Beene's autum/winter 1967-68 collection. The purple silk organza gown is embroidered with purple, white and gold acetate sequins.

This 1898 House of Worth ball gown is made of light blue silk satin brocaded with yellow and ivory silk. It's embellished with silver sequins, clear rhinestones and clear silver seed beads and trimmed with ivory cotton lace, black silk velvet and light blue silk mousseline.

The 2014 Yves Saint Laurent blouse embroidered with lip motifs in sequins and beads echoes a 1971 lip dress from Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. The black and red rayon crepe print dress is embellished with a red vinyl flower.

This spring/summer 2014 ensemble from Vionnet S.P.A. is printed with black and cream patter-drafting-paper motifs and embroidered with black silk floss.