Great minds think alike: on May 5th, for this year’s Met Gala, First Lady Michelle Obama will meet fashion’s First Lady Anna Wintour to celebrate the opening of the newly refurbished Costume Center of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
After a two-year renovation, the Anna Wintour Costume Center will start its first year with a much-anticipated retrospective exhibition of American designer Charles James, entitled “Charles James: Beyond Fashion,” which will put James’ most emblematic ball gowns on display, alongside other sketches and designs.
“Anna Wintour’s extraordinary advocacy and fundraising have made this state-of-the-art space a reality,” explained Daniel Brodsky, the Museum’s Chairman, in an official release, stating that Wintour has helped to raise approximately US $125 million for The Costume Institute over the past 20 years. “She has the rare ability to rally diverse groups across a wide range of industries to support The Costume Institute so it can educate and inspire visitors from around the world.” Wintour has been a trustee of the museum since January 1999.
Aside from the official ribbon cutting, First Lady Michelle Obama is expected to speak at the 11 a.m. ceremony. For the sake of the event (and in order to entertain the invited ladies), Wintour has imposed a particular dress code that pays homage to James’ dandy-worthy style, asking every male guest to wear “a black tailcoat, waistcoat, a wing-collared shirt, and white bow tie” without forgetting “sheer silk socks, patent leather evening pumps, medals, and rosettes.”
We, for one, can’t wait to see that red carpet in action.
