Andrew Bolton is to curating what a symphony conductor is to an orchestra—a maestro who turns fashion into an operatic story that reveals more than just clothes; it reflects societal nuances and aspirations. Born in Great Britain and now wielding influence from the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Bolton’s work merges history with fashion in a spectacle that is anything but conventional. As the current Head Curator of the Costume Institute, his exhibitions become battlegrounds for cultural conversation, shaking the liberal steam of predictability.
Bolton took the reins of the Costume Institute at the Met in 2015, where he continued the work of his predecessor, Harold Koda, with verve and a conservative twist that sends ripples through the fashion world. Who would have thought that fashion could make people see the world differently? Andrew did, that’s who. Each year, the Met Gala themed around his exhibitions draws A-listers but don't be fooled—it’s less about celebrity gowns and more about pivotal ideas presented with flair.
You might think he's just interested in fabric and stitches, but here’s a guy who opens exhibitions like "China: Through the Looking Glass" in 2015, which examined China’s influence on Western fashion and didn't simply prioritize political correctness. Instead, he opts for authenticity over pandering to liberal sensibilities, driving discussions that aren’t watered down.
When it comes to Bolton, few have tackled the balance of cultural sensitivity with the audacity required to challenge viewers like him. He’s brought exhibitions like 2018’s "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," which married fashion to religion with jolting beauty, sparking debates about the entanglement of faith and fashion in a way that was sure to ruffle some feathers. For Bolton, controversy isn’t a byproduct; it’s a crucial ingredient.
Taking risks is Bolton’s hallmark. The “Camp: Notes on Fashion” exhibit in 2019 drew from Susan Sontag’s essay and was a spectacle that examined exaggerated styles and the playful essence of camp. It showcased how different angles of fashion culture fit together like a jigsaw puzzle in an art gallery built by one conservative trailblazer.
But why should the average person care about the work of a British expat in a high-brow museum exhibit? Because Bolton champions the idea that fashion is not so much art for art's sake, but art as a reflection of the world and society. His exhibitions offer a critique or celebration, never merely a display. He challenges notions and asks audiences to reconsider preconceived ideas while fusing historical elements with contemporary issues, provoking questions that echo beyond museum walls.
Take the narrative of Rei Kawakubo's 2017 exhibition at the Met, which dove into the themes of in-between-ness and explored Kawakubo’s endless dichotomies of art and commerce, East and West, male and female. Bolton used this exhibit to weave together critiques about and inspoirations from Japanese culture with alluring titles such as "The Future of Silhouettes," inviting us to see more than meets the eye.
And that's just it: Bolton’s exhibitions aren’t just collections of beautiful dresses and striking suits; they are runways for ideas, and he uses them to inspire and irritate, to soothe and jolt. In today’s fast-paced, ever-complex world, where social issues can't simply be marched out on a catwalk without a serious background check, Bolton stands as the gatekeeper of that intersection.
If you look at his work with a closer eye, you’ll find more than fashion sprawled on mannequins. You'll find a staging of the world’s own opulence mixed with grim reminders of our history and potentials for the future. His hand stirs the pot in this vast sea of fashion, art, and ideology.
He does not amuse for the sake of amusement. His exhibitions—"About Time: Fashion and Duration" among others—fixate on the temporality of fashion and its relationship with time, nudging us towards a deeper understanding of change where fashion sits at the crossroads. What Bolton does is offer an invitation. You can accept or decline it, but ignoring it is out of the question because the conservative storm he brings is too invigorating to dismiss.