Charles James Ball Gowns (1948)/Photo by Cecil Beaton courtesy the MET / Condé Nast Archive
Though his name lacks the bravado of Christian Dior or Cristobal Balanciaga, Charles James was the creator of the Taxi dress, the inspiration behind Dior's New Look of 1947, the father of American couture and now the subject of the first exhibit in the MET Museum's newly renovated Anna Wintour Costume Center. At a press breakfast February 10th, Harold Koda, curator of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), introduced the upcoming exhibit, Charles James: Beyond Fashion. Opening May 8th, the exhibit will occupy the first floor special exhibition galleries along with the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery in the Anna Wintour Costume Center. A press preview will be held on May 5th and the exhibit will run until August 10th.
