The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2018 dedicated its main event to ... Catholicism. A spectacular show of fashionable dresses from different times is called Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination - “Heavenly bodies: fashion and Catholic imagination”

Related: Fashion without Borders: Rei Kawakubo at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Three days before the opening of the “Heavenly bodies”, the annual celebration of MET Gala took place. Those who could afford to pay a ticket for $ 30,000, could observe how the inspiredly decorated guests passed along the red carpet leading to the museum. Papal robes, angel wings, golden boots, armor of holy warriors caused a wide media resonance - the praises of stylists mixed with accusations of sacrilege.

El Greco. Cardinal Fernando Nino de Guevara (1541–1609), Grand Inquisitor, ca. 1600, oil on canvas. • Evening outfit. Cristobal Balenciaga. Balenciaga, Fall-Winter 1954–55. © Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro acted as exhibition designers at MET. Their task was not simple: to unite rather isolated objects in separate rooms (museum galleries, gardens and courtyards).

Related: Elizabeth Diller is among the most influential people in the world

Fragment of the exposure. Scenography by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Photo: Floto + Warner

In addition to fashion brands from Olympus (including the famous wedding dress by Cristobal Balenciaga of 1967, made with a single stitch) 50 exhibits from the Vatican arrived in New York. Among them are papal tiaras, rings, parts and fragments of vestments. Symbols of hierarchy, codes of ceremonies and culture of everyday life.

Sheet of the manuscript with scenes from the life of St.. Francis of Assisi, Italy, approx. 1320–42, tempera and gold. • Evening dress, Madame Grès, 1969. © Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Among the most unexpected exhibits are a golden dress based on the Bernini sculpture “Ecstasy of Saint Theresa” and “G-string” from the 2015 Rick Owens men's collection. In the exhibition catalog, this thing is called reference to the image of a drunken monk from the "Canterbury Tales" by English writer Jeffrey Chaucer.

“As a curator, you are always interested in showing what is behind the work and consciousness of the artist. I never thought it could be a religion. I never thought that Catholicism stimulated creative development so much. ”

Bible and common prayer book, Britain, ca. 1607, silk, metal. • Evening dress, Maria Grazia Kyuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino, 2014. From haute couture. © Metropolitan Museum of Art.

DS + R designed a special system of windows made of concrete, steel and acrylic, which can be easily adapted to clothes. Soaring platforms, towering pedestals and basement - the design creates a rhythmic structure that helps to perceive the exhibition.

Apprentice Lippo Memmi, Saint Peter, sir. XIV century. Tempera on wood, primer in gold. • Evening Dress. Elsa Schiaparelli. Schiaparelli, summer 1939. Photo © Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Curator Andrew Bolton commented that the creators of the project wanted to talk about the impact on the secular costume not one, but immediately five religions: Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Catholicism. However, Christianity and Catholicism so dominated that they decided to dwell only on them.

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, until October 8.