Today we got to take an advanced look at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's new exhibit: "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy." The show has three types of costumes on display. First, there are original superhero costumes that were worn by actors in the major superhero movies — Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, Iron Man, Catwoman (from Batman Returns, not Catwoman), and Mystique are in the gallery below.

The "real" superhero costumes are juxtaposerd with fantastical outfits put together by today's hot designers, including Versace, Armani, Docle & Gabbana, and John Galliano. Finally, the curators included some contemporary sportswear that has clearly been influenced by superhero costume designs — think Speedo's controversial new Fastskin LZR suit and Spyder's ski race suits. The backdrops behind all the costumes were designed by Nathan Crowley, production designer for the new Christian Bale Batman films. All in all, a good time.

For those of you jetting through New York over the next few months, the exhibit opens on Wednesday, May 7 and runs through September 1. Or just check out our gallery below.

via Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy