What was the theme of the 2015 Met Gala exhibition and dress code?

The theme of the 2015 Met Gala exhibition and dress code was China: Through the Looking Glass. The exhibition explored how Chinese art, design, and visual culture influenced Western fashion and how Western designers imagined China in their work.

The show was organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in collaboration with the Department of Asian Art. It placed historic Chinese objects alongside garments by Western designers, encouraging visitors to consider both genuine exchange and the fantasies created by fashion’s “looking glass.”

The title refers to the idea that Western fashion often viewed China through an imaginative, highly stylized lens. That distinction matters because the exhibition was not simply a survey of Chinese clothing or a list of Chinese designers.

The 2015 gala’s red carpet produced many memorable interpretations of the theme, including dramatic gowns that emphasized embroidery, color, metallic decoration, and references to Chinese art. The exhibition ran at the Met during 2015.