The Art Of The In-Between

A landmark retrospective of avant-garde designer Rei Kawakubo’s work takes centre stage at this year’s MET Gala.

- PJ Rascal

The annual MET Gala is considered the Oscars of fashion in the East Coast. This year’s gala, however, pulled out all the stops as the concurrent exhibition transports visitors into a world filled with creativity and art: the world of avant-garde designer Rei Kawakubo.

Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between examines the designer’s fascination with the boundaries of space and time. Her pieces challenge the viewers’ thoughts on how beauty, good taste, and fashion can be reinterpreted in her own vision. A thematic exhibition as opposed to a traditional retrospective, this is The Costume Institute’s first monographic show on a living designer since the Yves Saint Lauren exhibition in 1983.

The genius behind this exhibition is Andrew Bolton, who proved his mettle by spearheading the controversial