What was the theme of the Met’s 2021 exhibition marking the Costume Institute’s 75th anniversary?

The Met’s 2021 exhibition marking the Costume Institute’s 75th anniversary was titled “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”

The exhibition explored American fashion through a set of concepts associated with United States identity, including belonging, joy, nostalgia, strength, and confidence. It presented clothing from the museum’s collection in the period rooms of the American Wing.

The exhibition opened in September 2021, after the 2020 gala and exhibition were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A related second part, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” followed in 2022 and examined American fashion through historical interiors and film-style installations.

Because the two-part project used closely related titles, readers often mix up “A Lexicon of Fashion” with “An Anthology of Fashion.” The 2021 title is the lexicon, not the anthology.