Get Excited: The Charles James Exhibition Debuts in a Week

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The Costume Institute's exhibition on designer Charles James will finally open roughly one week from today. On May 8th, just a few days after the annual celebrity-studded Met Ball, the Institute will unveil its first show spotlighting a solo designer since Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty.

In February, we got our first look at what the show would entail. James, whose career spanned from 1926 to 1978, was a master at glamourous evening gowns—Christian Dior called him as "the greatest talent of my generation."

Take a look back at our original post for a better idea of what will be on display, as well as a few important tidbits about the Costume Institute's makeover and name change (it will now be referred to as the Anna Wintour Costume Center.)

Our sister site also put together a primer on the designer, including this crucial stat: "Charles James invented stuff you wear all the time, like cupless bras and puffer coats. He was also one of the earliest designers to put zippers in evening gowns—game changer."

And of course, here's a what you can expect from the Met Ball on Monday, May 5th—who's dressing who, the rules of the red carpet (yes, there are rules this time around), and how much it'll cost everyone to get in.
· Preview the Anna Wintour Costume Center's Inaugural Show [Racked NY]
· Why You Should GAF About the Met's Charles James Exhibit [Racked]
· Celebrities, Red Carpet Rules: All the 2014 Met Gala Details [Racked]