What is the official name of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fashion department?

The official name of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fashion department is the Costume Institute.

The institute preserves, studies, and displays historical dress and accessories. Its holdings cover a broad range of periods, regions, designers, materials, and garment types, making it one of the world’s best-known fashion collections.

The department’s annual benefit is commonly called the Met Gala. Each year, the gala helps launch the institute’s major exhibition and raises money for its continuing work.

In 2014, the department’s research and exhibition space was named the Anna Wintour Costume Center. That name identifies the center, but the museum department itself remains the Costume Institute.