107 ANDREW BOLTON FASHION PILGRIMAGE

The Catholic Church has inspired the work of Gianni Versace, John Galliano and Dolce & Gabbana. At New York’s Met, the runway meets the rosary in a glorious exhibit reflecting on haute couture and religious artworks

For curator Andrew Bolton, his contemplative space is his New York City apartment’s terrace with its spectacular view of Central Park. «Being here clears my head, seeing the eagles that live on the building’s roof and breathing in New York’s energy without being stuck in a crowd», said the head curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, while petting his beloved dachshund, Hector. «Now that he’s bigger, there’s no longer the risk that he’ll be kidnapped», he joked, ever the dapper fellow in an outfit created by his companion, the fashion designer Thom Browne. When Bolton isn’t at the museum, he enjoys working in the back section of his apartment. «It’s not as bright and this allows me to think better, get into my own head». In the dim light of his study, the brainy, creative Bolton has dreamed up some of the Met’s most spectacular exhibitions, from “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, which drew more than 750,000 visitors, to the most recent “Art of the In-Between”, a retrospective show devoted to Rei Kawakubo, the ground-breaking and enigmatic founder of the Japanese Comme des Garçons label. This year his long-awaited show “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” will not only present the strong bonds between fashion and religion but also examine the power of Catholic iconography on creative development. «For years, I’ve reflected on this concept of devotion that has often shaped fashion designers. Gianni Versace, John Galliano, Dolce& Gabbana were inspired by liturgical vestments, Byzantine mosaics and the cult of the Virgin Mary when creating their collections», explained the curator, who received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of East Anglia and grew up in a small village in Lancashire, England. «But what are the impulses behind their vision and narrative? I would have never thought of religion, yet being Catholic significantly influenced the artistic growth of most fashion designers». He delved into the theories espoused by Catholic priest and theologian David Tracy, author of The Analogical Imagination, and the late sociologist and priest Andrew Greeley, who wrote The Catholic Imagination. Bolton asserts that Catholicism, unlike more analytical religions, presents allegories that not only make concepts such as Christ’s incarnation easier to understand but also deeply influence believers’ ability to use images for learning and expressing themselves. «The satirized clerical vestment fashion show in [Federico] Fellini’s film Roma is a grandiose example of how Catholic processions resemble a high fashion runway show», admitted Bolton. «I hope that Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination is a pilgrimage through the beauty of haute couture and the religious artworks in the Metropolitan’s collection». Examples include the Byzantine cross from the medieval gallery which inspired Gianni Versace’s design of a 1997 golden evening gown and some mosaics from the cathedral at Monreale in Sicily, which was the creative spark behind the 2014 Dolce& Gabbana collection. «I wanted to present the sumptuous, spectacular aspects of processions, public worship and ecclesiastical hierarchies at the Met on Fifth Avenue. While at the Cloisters, a separate branch of the Met, the plainer, simpler garments inspired by the Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian monastic orders will be displayed». Show visitors are encouraged to start their ‘pilgrimage’ in the AnnaWintour Costume Center. The treasures on display will include more than 40 luxurious papal vestments and a precious diamond tiara on loan from the Vatican. Then continue on, as if you were walking along a church’s aisle, to the site-specific installations in the Byzantine and medieval galleries. «At the Cloisters, each of the rooms will tell a different story regarding the monks’ simplicity and asceticism», said the curator. For visitors, depending on their faith, the exhibit may have a purely aesthetic appeal or, drawn in by the exhibited works, may prompt them to reflect on their beliefs. During repeated trips to the Vatican, Bolton showed story boards of the exhibition’s selected garments to various cardinals. «I wouldn’t have changed anything, but I wanted to know if certain things were forbidden», a smiling Bolton admitted while next to him Hector wagged his tail. «I found an open, receptive group of people with a strong sense of humour. They struggled to find aspects that could offend the sensibilities of believers».