Met Gala's New Mannequins: A Body Positive Revolution

0:00It's April 21st. Welcome to entertainment and celebrity news today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. The Costume Institute at the Met is shaking things out for its 2026 Costume Art exhibit tied to the Met Gala. They're ditching the usual size two mannequins for 25 new ones modeled after real diverse body types, pushing body positivity in a fashion, world that's long, stuck to thin, standard figures. Greater Andrew Bolton is leading this charge, aiming to flip the script on centuries of museum displays that favored slim, able-bodied looks. They scanned nine real people to craft 18 of these figures, while the rest rep different shapes like pregnant bodies and thin male forms for. That true to life vibe. This move spotlights folks like disability activists Sinanette Burke, with dwarfism, athlete Imi Mullins on prosthetics, wheelchair user Ariana Rose, Philip, and model Michaela Stark, whose work fits right into sections on reclaimed

1:00and fuller bodies. It's a big nod to lived experiences over cookie cutter ideals. All 200 plus mannequins in the show get a mirror like steel finish and the exhibit kicks off to the public on May 10th, right after the Gala. On May 4th, that night's co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wentore, with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez as top donors under the fashion is art theme. These mannequins aren't one-offs. They're heading straight into the Met's permanent collection for future exhibits, keeping this diversity push alive. Long term.