A new year means a new programme for museums in the world's greatest fashion capitals. From the key events of 1997 at the Palais Galliera in Paris to a Karl Lagerfeld tribute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, here are the five must-see fashion exhibitions for 2023.
After Paris, London and New York, this retrospective devoted to Christian Dior has just landed in Tokyo, focusing exceptionally on the close ties between Dior and Japan.
The exhibition (running until May 28) explores the great couturier's influences, as well as his passion for gardens, and his most emblematic creations, such as the Bar suit, synonymous with the New Look.
Here, the show's scenography has been specifically designed to pay tribute to Japanese culture. But that's not all, as visitors can also admire haute couture creations and accessories designed by the creative directors who succeeded Christian Dior, including Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, John Galliano and Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Read more: How a French fashion house developed a fascination for Japan and its culture
The famous Y2K years have been an endless source of fashion inspiration since the beginning of 2022, but it is nevertheless 1997 that is considered a pivotal year in fashion.
A "Big Bang," as Vogue Paris called the Spring/Summer 1997 haute couture season, which the Palais Galliera will retrace in an exhibition (March 7 to July 16).
Visitors will be able to look back on collections that have become cult favourites, such as Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body by Comme Des Garçons, while retracing the emergence of a new generation of artistic directors who have become industry heavyweights today, such as Hedi Slimane, Stella McCartney and Nicolas Ghesquiere.
The show also takes in a host of significant events, such as the opening of the French capital's legendary Colette concept store. All of this is accompanied by no less than 50 outfits, plus videos and archive documents.
Unusually, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has chosen to dedicate its major spring exhibition to a single fashion designer, Karl Lagerfeld.
This exceptional retrospective (May 5 to July 16) will take the form of a tribute to the designer's creative genius, as well as to his personality, through no less than 150 creations, accompanied by sketches by the great German couturier.
From his work methodology and creative process to his drawings and relationships with his closest collaborators, visitors will be able to explore all aspects of the designer's work throughout his career, spanning Balmain, Patou, Chloe, Fendi, Chanel and his own label.
As every year, the Costume Institute exhibition will be launched by the most coveted red carpet event, the Met Gala, for which guests will all wear creations conceived by Karl Lagerfeld or related to the theme.
After Palais Galliera in Paris, it is the Victoria & Albert Museum's (V&A) turn to host this retrospective dedicated to Gabrielle Chanel.
This is the first British exhibition entirely dedicated to the work of the French fashion designer, and, for the occasion, the V&A will present rare creations from its own collection.
In total, more than 180 outfits will be on display at the museum (Sept 16, 2023, to Feb 25, 2024), along with jewellery, accessories, cosmetics and perfumes. All of this is designed to highlight the evolution of Gabrielle Chanel's iconic style, as well as her career path up to her final collection in 1971.
Read more: What will you be wearing this year? Top 10 predicted fashion trends of 2023
With the 2024 Paris Olympic Games approaching, the French capital's Musee des Arts Decoratifs has chosen to explore the close, and ever more frequent, links between the worlds of fashion and sport.
Clothes, accessories, photographs, paintings, posters and videos will be installed in the nave of the museum (Sept 20, 2023, to April 7, 2024) to demonstrate the connection between these two seemingly distant worlds, from Antiquity to the present day.
Sportswear, whether designed and/or used for sport or for everyday life, will be the focus of this show, spotlighting pieces including 19th century tennis dresses, the emblematic yellow jersey of Tour De France cyclists, and the Lacoste polo shirt, as well as more recent collections including sneakers and logo clothing, plus the now ubiquitous sports and fashion collaborations. – AFP Relaxnews
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