By Jane Henderson

Yes, I was surprised by the decision to allow the Munroe “naked” dress to be worn to the Met Gala last month. Others have offered a more detailed critique of this situation, but what followed was a very public debate on historic costumes, conservation, museums and the power of artefacts to inspire. I was therefore sad to see the ICOM Costume Committee’s rather stark response to the situation that stated, “historic garments should not be worn by anybody”.