What was the title of the 2021 Met Gala exhibition about American fashion?

The title of the 2021 Met Gala exhibition about American fashion was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” The exhibition presented American design through a set of ideas or values, including concepts such as belonging, joy, confidence, strength, and comfort.

The show opened during a period when the Costume Institute was examining how fashion reflects national identity. Rather than telling one linear story, it used a changing selection of American designers and garments to build a vocabulary of American style.

The title is often confused with “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” which was the related second part of the project presented in 2022. “A Lexicon” was the first installment and focused on the meanings associated with American fashion; “An Anthology” later explored individual American fashion stories through period rooms.

The exhibition opened at the Met’s Anna Wintour Costume Center in September 2021.