Historic fashion showcase to debut at the Louvre in 2025
The Louvre will host a major fashion exhibition for the first time in its history. From January 24 to July 21, 2025, the emblematic french museum will feature an exhibition completely devoted to fashion, to haute couture to be precise, marking a very important milestone for the world-renowned arts institution. Yes, the museum has had some fashion pieces before, but this time will be its first extensive venture into the world of high fashion.
The exhibition will showcase a carefully selected range of 65 haute couture pieces and 30 accessories from well known designers and maisons, such as Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Yohji Yamamoto, and Dolce & Gabbana. According to WWD, an important highlight will be the work of Marie-Louise Carven, the founder of the Carven fashion house and a past donor of 18th-century French art to the Louvre.
Olivier Gabet, former director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and now head of the Louvre’s Department of Decorative Arts, will curate the exhibition with and Nathalie Crinière, a noted exhibition scenographer whose work include celebrated fashion displays dedicated to Iris Van Herpen, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Gianni Versace.
The exhibition will juxtapose the couture pieces with the Louvre’s classical collections, fostering a dialogue between fashion and art. As Gabet explained, «The goal is to understand why museums can be significant for fashion designers and how our collections, especially here at the Louvre, can inspire their creations.»While the Louvre doesn’t need additional publicity—it welcomed 8.9 million visitors in 2023, a 14% increase from the previous year—this exhibition signals a bold new direction. By embracing the fashion world, the Louvre may further cement its status as a cultural innovator.
