This year’s Costume Institute’s exhibition explores the relationship between fashion, art and the body. The show features pairings of garments in Costume Institute’s collection and artworks pulled from the museum’s other departments; the twist, courtesy of chief curator Andrew Bolton, is a series of new mannequins which reflect a diversity of body types, along with the slim, model silhouette that is fashion’s standard.
The party’s thematic dress code, “Fashion is art” left a wide berth for interpretation. Tory took inspiration from the art of midcentury couture and the female form when conceptualizing actress Camila Morrone’s striking custom dress. She created a slim gown in ice pink duchess satin with a train lined in black crepe painstakingly embroidered with 7,000 hand-rolled silk flowers. The clean lines of the sculpted silhouette were the result of intricate inner workings: a handmade corset, hand-molded boning and an exaggerated hip. “We loved the contrast of a spare silhouette with a voluminous train, barely-there pink against jet black,” said Tory. “The lining traces her body like a shadow, with 7,000 hand-embroidered flowers floating underneath.”

Musician and songwriter Laufey wore a custom gown in ivory crepe fully embroidered with transparent embossed sequins and a mini cape layered with tonal threadwork, delicate glass beads, and petal-shaped sequins. The curve of the silhouette evokes Laufey’s signature instrument, the cello — itself reminiscent of the female body — constructed with a handmade corset in duchess satin, hand-molded boning, and f-hole embellishments tracing the lower back. “Laufey blends genres and traditions to create a sound that is entirely her own — timeless, but never nostalgic,” explained Tory. “Her gown reflects her multifaceted artistry and the harmony between femininity and strength.”
Musician and producer Anderson .Paak wore custom Reva ballet flats in white patent leather. They were a riff on the Reva reintroduced for Spring 2025 with a sharper silhouette, beveled silver hardware, and cut-out Double Ts.

As is her tradition, Tory wore vintage; this year, a beautiful black velvet and blush satin gown from Thierry Mugler’s Fall/Winter 1987 collection, cut low in the back with silk roses by Maison Lemarié.