As the Cut staff discussed how best to cover this year's Met Gala, fashion features writer Chantal Fernandez proposed a juicy question: Has the Costume Institute peaked? For years, under curator Andrew Bolton and his patron, Anna Wintour, the institute was fashion’s most prestigious museum department, breaking attendance records at its exhibits and fundraising records at its celebrity-filled spring gala. But Bolton's blockbuster machine, current and former employees whispered, has gotten a bit rusty. Attendance hadn't recovered post-pandemic, and its shows felt overly commercial. So Chantal started digging. Her careful reporting produced this delicious romp through the "curatorial arm of Condé Nast,” as one former employee put it. Step into your Thom Browne suit and enjoy the perfect pre-Met weekend read for anyone who enjoyed the highbrow voyeurism ofThe First Monday in Mayor the dishy fun ofThe Devil Wears Prada.\xa0
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