The University of Massachusetts was not the only one commemorating superheroes this week, when the superhero-themed Orchard Hill Bowl Weekend took place.
Celebrities donned their superhero finest this past Monday at the annual Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Gala, honoring the Museum's latest venture: delving into the ties between fictional characters and fashion.
The new exhibition, "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy," was conceived by the legendary Giorgio Armani, and features roughly 60 ensembles ranging from movie costumes to avant-garde haute couture to high-performance sportswear.
Armani served as the Honorary Chair of the Gala alongside fellow co-chairs George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of "Vogue."
The exhibit aims to portray how the superhero not only serves as the utmost representation for fashion, but also possesses the ability to transform the human body.
The display, located in the Museum's first floor special exhibition galleries, manifests various movie costumes and fanatic fashion statements, both directly and indirectly referring to the notion of the superhero's iconic status.
Bernhard Wilhem's 2006 royal blue dress flaunts Superman's trademark red-and-yellow "S-shield," while a lengthy leather Balenciaga jacket, accompanied by eccentric bronze leggings, evokes Iron Man's metallic skin.
Everyone who is anyone in young Hollywood made their way to the Met's notorious event, including actresses-gone-style-icons Kate Bosworth, Mischa Barton, and Scarlett Johansson, as well as Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
Tabloid-friendly power-couples also graced the red carpet, including David and Victoria Beckham, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, and Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen.
"Today, superhero imagery has suffused almost every aspect of popular culture," said Andrew Bolton, Curator in the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute in a recent interview posted on the Museum's website.
"The superhero's iconic costume of cape, mask and bodysuit finds many fashionable permutations. But fashion's embrace of the super hero extends beyond iconography, to issues of identity, sexuality and nationalism."
Bolton organized the exhibit with the help of Harold Koda, Curator in Charge. Nathan Crowley, a production designer of such films as "Batman Begins" and this summer's upcoming flick "The Dark Knight," serves as the exhibit's creative consultant and also contributed to the Gala's design with Raul Avila.
A book, also entitled "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy," published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and distributed by Yale University Press, serves as a companion to the exhibition.
Various screenings of "Superman II," "Batman Returns," "X-Men," and "Spider-Man" are available for viewing pleasure in addition to a series of family programs featuring a one-hour introduction to the exhibition.
The Museum's Web site, Metmuseum.org, contains a Special Exhibitions Page on Superheroes, complete with an interactive flipbook, portraying a slew of comic book images, movie stills, catalogue excerpts and fashion show highlights, as well as commentaries from movie costume designers themselves.
Heather Waxman can be reached at hwaxman@student.umass.edu.
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