The Cleveland Museum of Art is kicking off its celebration of beauty in Korean fashion and culture this Friday, May 3 with its monthly MIX: K-pop party, which follows the Sunday, April 28 opening of “Korean Couture: Generations of Revolution” exhibit in the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Gallery.

“Korean Couture” highlights the history and transformative legacy of Korean fashion by presenting about 30 works and accompanying ephemera—ranging from excavated 17th-century aristocratic garments to contemporary Korean couture by leading and emerging designers.

It is the first Korean fashion exhibition at the CMA and the first exhibition to focus on Korean fashion at a leading comprehensive American art museum.

Evening Dress, Spring 2013, 2012 - Lie SangbongHistoric clothing from the 1500s and 1600s includes everyday wear made from silk, cotton, and paper; ceremonial silk robes; jackets; and more. Notable contemporary works include dresses from André Kim; Lie Sang Bong; Lee Chung Chung for LIE; Lee Jean Youn; and Shin Kyu Yong and Park Ji Sun for Blindness.

The exhibit  highlights the ways Korean artists and designers use fashion to elevate and challenge aspects of traditional Korean culture, while empowering contemporary designers to invent a new artistic language.

“By tracing Korean fashion from the 17th Century forward, we discover the ways that Korean fashion designers creatively subvert tradition and cultural norms through their artistic processes and designs to develop a path forward for the Korean fashion industry,” says Sooa Im McCormick, CMA’s Korea Foundation curator of Korean Art.

Playing off “Korean Couture,” tomorrow night’s MIX: K-pop event will make the experience completely immersive in the Ames Family Atrium when DJ Big Sana spins his favorite K-pop from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. PinkSoda—a K-pop dance group made up of Arushi Prakash-Li, Margaret Li, and Raymond Bondad—starts performing at 7 p.m.

Themed food, cocktails, beer, and wine are available to purchase from Bon Appétit.

“This exhibition highlights how Korean tradition has empowered contemporary fashion designers. Similarly, K-pop has roots in traditional Korean music but has become a global phenomenon with its musicians creating a new artistic language,” says Gabe Pollack, CMA director of performing arts.

All CMA galleries will be open during MIX: K-pop, including “Korean Couture” and Africa and Byzantium.

Tickets for MIX: K-pop are $16; admission is free for CMA members, but a ticket is required.