“Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” at the Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum, New York, through September 5

On a recent trip to Manhattan I visited an enchanting exhibition, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” at the Costume Institute in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ethereal music played in the background as a crowd of fashion enthusiasts jostled for a spot to view a lavish, ivory-hued train embellished with gold embroidery. Karl Lagerfeld designed this wedding ensemble for the House of Chanel’s haute couture line for Fall/Winter 2014-2015. It's what you'll see first when entering the exhibition before moving through a series of galleries with garments representing different techniques including toiles, pleating, feather work and lacework.

All text and photographs by Stephanie Wright Hession

The Costume Institute/Anna Wintour Costume Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., New York, New York. (212) 535-7710, www.metmuseum.org