Until the end of the month, fashion enthusiasts in Paris have a rare opportunity to visit three remarkable fashion exhibitions, each showcasing a distinct curatorial approach to presenting fashion in a museum or gallery setting.
The first, Du Cœur à la Main: Dolce & Gabbana, is currently on display at the newly reopened Grand Palais. This traveling exhibition, which debuted at Milan’s Palazzo Reale, offers a look into the artistry and craftsmanship of the Italian fashion house. On view in Paris until April 2, the exhibition will then continue its global tour.
True to the extravagant (some would say over the top) aesthetic of Dolce & Gabbana, the exhibition is a bold and immersive experience. It features eleven distinct rooms, each with its own theme, such as Il Gattopardo and The Art and Craft of Glassworking. The latter display showed garments and shoes inspired by Murano glass and had a soundtrack composed of shattering glass—a clever and amusing touch that proves the designers actually have a sense of humour.
The Du Cœur à la Main exhibition has proven to be a massive crowd-puller. Demand was so high that opening hours had to be extended into the evening, and even that wasn’t enough—forcing organizers to prolong its run in Paris by an additional two weeks.
However, this is not an exhibition for those seeking a calm, contemplative experience. The overwhelming crowds, dramatic lighting, pulsating sound effects, and an abundance of intricate garments create an intense, high-stimulus environment. While undeniably grand and visually striking, the spectacle at times overshadows the substance. That said, its accessibility and mainstream appeal ensure it resonates with a broad audience, making it more of an immersive brand experience than a deeply critical exploration of fashion.
At the opposite end of the fashion exhibition spectrum lies Stephen Jones, Chapeaux d’Artiste at Palais Galliera—an elegant and thoughtfully curated retrospective of one of the most influential milliners of our time. Since the 1980s, Jones’s hats have defined silhouettes that shaped fashion history. His deep connection to Paris, where working with couture houses transformed his artistic vision, is a recurring theme throughout the exhibition.
The exhibition follows a classic structure, beginning with a career-spanning showcase of Jones’s whimsical and extraordinary creations. It then delves into the creative process behind hat design. Finally, the exhibition highlights Jones’s collaborations with major fashion and couture houses, showcasing his hats alongside garments by John Galliano, Thom Browne, Walter Van Beirendonck, and others. These pairings reveal how designer collaborations create something greater than the sum of their parts, blending distinct creative visions into truly extraordinary fashion moments.
Elegant, insightful, and meticulously curated, this exhibition is a must-visit.
Elegant, insightful, and meticulously curated, this exhibition is a must-visit.
Saving the best for last: Louvre Couture – Art and Fashion in Statement Pieces. As if the Louvre didn’t already attract enough visitors, it has now raised the bar with a crowd-pleasing fashion exhibition: Louvre Couture.
Spanning nearly 9.000 square meters in the Department of Decorative Arts, Louvre Couture presents 65 garments and accessories from both historic and contemporary fashion houses, placing them in dialogue with some of the museum's most iconic masterpieces—from Byzantium to the Second Empire. Rather than being dispersed throughout the galleries, these pieces are strategically placed to emphasize their deep historical connections.
Fashion and decorative arts have long shared a symbiotic relationship. The Department of Decorative Arts owes part of its collection to figures like Jacques Doucet and Madame Carven, key patrons of the craft. The exhibition delves into the shared methodologies between fashion and art history, highlighting everything from ancestral techniques to visual culture. It draws fascinating parallels between the museum’s catalogues and the moodboards of fashion designers.
Louvre Couture reinterprets the decorative arts through the lens of contemporary fashion, offering a captivating exploration of the ongoing, rich exchange between the past and the present. This exhibition can be visited until 21 July.
In conclusion, the fashion exhibitions currently on display in Paris offer something for every type of enthusiast, whether seeking spectacle, tradition, or intellectual engagement. These shows represent the diverse ways in which fashion is shown within the museum and gallery setting. With each offering a distinct curatorial approach, they reveal the multifaceted nature of fashion, from its glamour and grandeur to its deep, historical connections with art and craftsmanship.
