A fresh new year means a new program for museums in the world’s biggest fashion capitals. From the seminal events of 1997 at the Palais Galliera in Paris to a tribute to Karl Lagerfeld at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, here are five must-see fashion shows for 2023.
The most remarkable fashion shows around the world in 2023
‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo
After Paris, London and New York, this retrospective dedicated to Christian Dior has just landed in Tokyo, with a unique focus on the close ties between Dior and Japan. The exhibition explores the great designer’s influences, as well as his passion for gardens and his most representative creations, such as the bar suit synonymous with the New Look.
Here, the set design of the show was specially designed to pay homage to Japanese culture. But that’s not all, as visitors can also admire haute couture creations and accessories designed by the creative directors who replaced Christian Dior, including Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, John Galliano and Maria Grazia Chiuri.
‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ runs until 28 May 2023 and more details can be found here.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, 4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0022 Japan
You can buy tickets here
‘1997, Fashion Big Bang’ at the Palais Galliera in Paris
The glorious years of Y2K have been an endless source of fashion inspiration since the beginning of 2022, but 1997 is still considered a pivotal year in fashion. “The Big Bang,” as Vogue Paris called the haute couture spring-summer 1997 season, which the Palais Galliera will open with a show that opens on March 7. Visitors will be able to look back at collections that have become iconic, such as Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body’ by Comme des Garçons, while watching the rise of a new generation of artistic directors who have become industry heavyweights such as Hedi Slimane, Stella McCartney and Nicolas Ghesquière. The show also includes a number of major events, such as the opening of the legendary Colette concept store in the French capital. All this is accompanied by no less than 50 outfits plus videos and archival documents.
‘1997, Fashion Big Bang’ runs from March 7 to July 16, 2023 and more details can be found here.
Palais Galliera, Paris Museum of Fashion, 10, Avenue Pierre Ier de Serbie, Paris 16e
‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
The Metropolitan Museum of Art unusually decided to dedicate its major spring exhibition to the one and only fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. This exceptional retrospective will take the form of a tribute to the creative genius of the designer and his personality through no less than 150 creations, accompanied by sketches of the great German designer. From his working 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. The Costume Institute exhibition will be opened, as every year, by the most requested event on the Met Gala red carpet, where all guests will wear creations created by Karl Lagerfeld or related to the theme.
‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’ runs from 5 May to 16 July 2023 and more details can be found here.
The Met Fifth Avenue, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028
“Gabrielle Chanel.” Fashion Manifesto’ at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London
After the Palais Galliera in Paris, it’s the Victoria & Albert Museum’s turn to host this retrospective dedicated to Gabrielle Chanel. This is the first UK exhibition dedicated entirely to the work of the French fashion designer, and to mark the occasion the V&A will present rare creations from its own collection. In total, more than 180 outfits will be on display in the museum, along with jewelry, 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.
“Gabrielle Chanel.” Fashion Manifesto’ runs from 16 September 2023 to 25 February 2024 and more details can be found here.
V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Mode and sport [Fashion and Sport]” at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris
With the 2024 Paris Olympics approaching, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs of the French capital decided to explore the close and increasingly common connection between the worlds of fashion and sport. Clothing, accessories, photographs, paintings, posters and videos will be installed in the main nave of the museum to demonstrate the connection between these two seemingly distant worlds, from antiquity to the present. Sportswear, whether designed and/or used for sport or everyday life, will be the focus of this show, highlighting pieces including a 19th century tennis dress, the iconic yellow Tour de France cycling jersey and a Lacoste polo shirt, as well as more recent collections including sneakers and apparel with the logo plus now ubiquitous sports and fashion collaborations.
“Mode et Sport” runs from 20 September 2023 to 7 April 2024 and more details can be found here.
Museum of Decorative Arts, 107, rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
(Feature Image: Dior; Featured Image: Dior/ Daici Ano/ Instagram)
This story was published by AFP Relaxnews