And, when wearing to an event like Met Gala, an event supposed to celebrate the importance of costume conservation, the incident could set a damaging precedent for conservators and archivists. “Historically, fashion curators, conservationists and archivists have often been pressured into forcing people to wear clothes from these collections,” says Scutarro. “This is something that curators and conservators have really challenged a lot over the years.“She points out that it is only after organizations begin to notice damage to historical works that the right to preserve costumes is consolidated through organizations such as Costume Association of America (CSA) and International Commission on Museums and Collections of Apparel, Fashion and Textiles (ICOM). “We can work to reduce wear and try to prevent it,” she said. Despite the fact that experts like Scaturro and Beltrán-Rubio “facilitate public access to cultural heritage”, there are many misconceptions about the importance of preserving fashion, because this is a relatively new profession that, according to Scaturro, is often seen as less than its relation to consumerism and women.
