Bonaveri | Bespoke Schläppi mannequins featured in the new film ‘First Monday in May’

The film follows the creation of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s most attended fashion exhibition in history, “China: Through The Looking Glass” in 2015.

The exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York featured over 140 bespoke Schläppi Mannequins showcasing 140 haute couture garments, avant-garde ready-to-wear and Chinese art objects. Staged in 2015, it was one of the Museums most successful exhibitions. Bonaveri’s Schläppi mannequins feature throughout the film as director, Andrew Rossi unveils the intricacies in the lead up to the grand Met Gala opening. The film shows how this incredible exhibition was put together and questions whether fashion should be seen as art.

People underestimate the power of clothes to tell stories or speak to people – Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton.

Bonaveri and Schläppi mannequins retain an artistic DNA at their core and for us, this movie celebrates many elements of aspiring contemporary fashion and art that fuse together in our own work. Much of the work undertaken to create these mannequins was completed in our atelier in Italy where we worked with museum staff in creating the 140 bespoke gold and white figures.

Bonaveri supplied all of the mannequins and ‘petite pieces’ through our New York distributors, DK Display.

Throughout the film, designers, curators and fashion press debate the view that industry has of itself, where commercial interests must sit side by side with creativity. The Met Gala illustrates the culmination in high fashion of all of these elements as celebrity and designer showcase their incredible work.