Superheroes: Fashion And Fantasy

We just returned from the Superhereos: Fashion And Fantasy exhibition and press conference at the Met. The exhibit is open to the public from May 7th to September 1st and is truly worth a visit if you happen to be in New York. The exhibit features approximately 60 ensembles and is a mixture of film costume, haute couture, and high-performance sportswear. Georgio Armani, who spoke at the event, tells us the inspiration for curating these ensembles. He says,

This compelling and timely exhibition explores the relationship between the fashionable body and the superhero body as sites of splendor and seduction. The power of fashion, like the power of the superhero, lies in its ability to transcend the humdrum and commonplace. Fashion and the superhero are bound by whimsy and fantasy, and this exhibition, while a celebration of the fashionable body as well as the superhero body, is ultimately a celebration of the body fantastic.


To summarize, some of the ensembles were truly breathtaking, while others felt a bit forced or just boring. Anna Wintour was front and center, being thanked left and right, and, after the speeches, the alarm went off for about ten straight minutes. There were neon colored smoothies in shot glasses that made us think perhaps the yogurt had been left out too long. The exhibit is defined by different interpretations of the body, those being, 'The Graphic Body' (with Superman and Spiderman costumes and designer incarnations by Galliano, Armani, and Gaultier), 'The Verile Body' (with Hulk backdrops and designer incarnations by Alexander McQueen and Galliano), 'The Paradoxical Body' (with Catwoman costume and designer incarnations by Docle and Gabbana, Thierry Mulger, and Versace), 'The Patriotic Body' (with Wonder Woman costume and designer incarnations by Bernhard Willhelm and Rick Owens), 'The Armored Body' (with Iron Man costume and designer incarnations by Thierry Mulger, Pierre Cardin, and Balenciaga), 'The Aerodynamic Body' (with Speedo and Nike ensembles), 'The Mutant Body' (with X-Men costumes and designer incarnations by Thierry Mulger, As Four, and Alexander McQueen), and 'The Postmodern Body' (with designer incarnations by Walter Van Beirendonck, Alexander McQueen, and Thierry Mulger).

Check out our gallery of some of the featured ensembles below with video of the speeches to follow.