House of Style
Paris’ haute couture history rooted in ateliers and some of the biggest names in the business have earned its fashion capital status, so it comes as no surprise that the city is not only abundant with luxury boutiques; it is also sprawling with fashion-centric exhibits, galleries and museums. Many such venues are gearing up for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games set to take over the City of Lights August of this year. Always en vogue, fashion museums are on trend, spotlighting sports- and movement-themed exhibitions in view of the summer games.
There are many fashion-inspired spots in Paris, including Fondation Louis Vuitton near Bois de Boulogne and Fondation Cartier, on the Right Bank — which feature works of art, sculptures and photographs. Here, our focus is fashion; thus, I’ve hand-selected a few key venues to fill a weekend of fashion education for the history buff and aficionado with good taste.
MORNING AT MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS
Start your morning in the 1er arrondissement at the Decorative Arts Museum, Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs (107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, madparis.fr), just a stone’s throw from the sweeping Jardin des Tuileries — and attached to the Palais de Louvre.
Nestled on 107 rue de Rivoli, the Louvre’s Rohan and Marsan wings house Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) and Library du MAD. This nonprofit, private organization was founded in 1882 in the height of Universal Exhibitions fury, when collectors brainstormed the idea of promoting applied arts to the public.
Les Arts Décoratifs still fulfills its mission through its various exhibitions today that “keep alive the culture of the arts in France, which seek to make useful things beautiful.” Now, the museum regularly showcases fashion exhibits. In the not-so-distant past, they have shown us the works of Dior, Thierry Mugler, and even Barbie’s various personas, pre-blockbuster-hit film.
Here is one fashion-pointed exhibition: Mode et Sport, d’un Podium à un Autre / Fashion and Sports: from one Podium to Another, tickets up to April 7, 2024. The collection explores unexpected and fascinating links between fashion and sports, with a nod to the Paris summer games.
The collection spotlights 450 pieces of clothing and accessories, photographs, magazine clippings, paintings, sculptures, and movie clips highlighting the evolution of clothing and sports in the contemporary world. Designer pioneers who contributed to fashion in the athletic world include Gabrielle Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin, Jean Patou and Elsa Schiaparelli. This exposition connects modern sneaker comfort to the runway, from Balenciaga to Off-White.
Stop for lunch at Loulou in the heart of the Palais du Louvre at Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The gorgeous inside dining room and outside terrasse provide views of the Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay and Tuileries gardens. Elevated Mediterranean and Italian-inspired dishes rule the lunch menu. High tea, dinner and drinks are also available for the later grazers.
AFTERNOON AT LA GALERIE DIOR
After lunch, hop over to the 8th arrondissement for a romantic and fantastical stroll through the colorful and sweeping world of Christian Dior and his followers at La Galerie Dior (11 Rue François 1er, 75008 Paris, galeriedior.com). The winding white staircase, all arranged in a kaleidoscope of colors showcasing Dior’s finest clothing and accessories, makes a photo-worthy opp, with approximately 1,500, color-coded Dior objects on display. It’s a Pantone fan’s dream come true.
Moreover, this historic address, now open as a museum to the public, is where Dior Collections have been created for more than 70 years. The beating heart of the House of Dior, at 30 Avenue Montaigne, first opened as a tiny studio with three ateliers, which is now a “refuge of the marvelous,” that once hosted Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano, Raf Simons and the like.
Need a bit on sight? Chic Café Dior or the upscale Restaurant Monsieur Dior both offer dining options in the vicinity. After your visit, spend the rest of the afternoon shopping on Avenue Montaigne, breaking for tea at L’Hotel Plaza Athnée. If you’re still in the neighborhood for dinner, check out trendy, Michelin-star restaurant Pavyllon Paris - Yannick Alléno, a gastronomic comptoir set in a garden with open veranda walls for a real “wow” factor.
DAY2
MORNING AT PALAIS GALLIERA
Start your morning in the affluent 16th arrondissement, stopping to admire a charming front garden and views of the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop. The official “Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris” / “Paris Fashion Museum” (10 Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, 75116 Paris, palaisgalliera.paris.fr) really encapsulates everything you’d imagine in a fashion museum. Whether its permanent collection featuring haute couture favorites from Paris’ most revered Houses, or a temporary exhibition highlighting a moment in the fashion of fabric, Palais Galliera is an absolute must for fashion fans.
The Duchesse de Galliera left this historic, trendy site — and her art collection — to the French nation, which she proposed be on view to the public in this specially built museum. It’s arguable she would be proud to know that the site now houses the modern-day Paris fashion musée.
Now on view until Sept. 7, 2025, is La Mode en Mouvement, or Fashion in Motion, in the garden floor galleries: a collection featuring 200 works from the 18th century to present day, all spotlighting the body in motion. Also in view of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the collection looks at fashion in movement, particularly related to sports and activities, highlighting what positive or negative consequences these evolving fashions have had on society.
If you are visiting in the spring — after all, Paris is lovely in the springtime — don’t miss their gorgeous restaurant with a sweeping terrasse fronting the Eiffel Tower, Les Petites Mains, where Chef Geoffrey Lengagne wows guests with cheery, festive, seasonable plates — accompanied by talented Pastry Chef François Daubinet — offering you stylish views and cuisine.
AFTERNOON AT MUSÉE YVES SAINT LAURENT
Following lunch, spend the afternoon at an intimate setting that once welcomed the footsteps of one of fashion’s greatest.
This museum is a quick walk from the Palais — which makes it an easy stop — and is a visitable venue completely in homage to the famed fashion designer. Housed in Yves Saint Laurent’s historic couture house, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris, (5 Av. Marceau, 75116 Paris museeyslparis.com) exposes haute couture works of art via temporary exhibitions.
In October 2017, the museum opened its doors, nearly 15 years after the closing of the haute couture house. The hôtel particulier on Avenue Marceau houses snippets of fashion’s framework in over 450 square meters. When it opened, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum Paris was the first museum of this scale, dedicated to the work of one of the greatest couturiers of the 20th century, to open in the fashion capital.
Most recently, the museum showcased Shapes & Forms, Decors & Works by Clau- dia Wieser, which was on view until Jan. 14. This collection married textiles and graphic art with collections of the museum, featuring 40 models from haute couture to prêt à porter. Wieser herself was influenced by artists Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee, to give you an idea.
Yves Saint Laurent himself was also an inventor of forms, coming out with the “Trapèze” line for Christian Dior in 1958, an iconic moment in fashion. Then, in the 1960s, his abstract, modern looks defined fashion of the time through color and illusion, as well as geometric lines, colors and prisms.
Now on view, from Feb. 9 to Aug. 25, 2024 is Yves Saint Laurent: Transparences, le Pouvoir des Matières (Transparences, the power of materials).
For this, the Parisian museum invited curator Anne Dressen, as artistic advisor, to focus on transparency as a privileged artistic expression of Yves Saint Laurent. Since the 1960s, Yves Saint Laurent has been using materials such as chiffon, lace, and tulle in its designs. Among the 40 textile pieces presented are iconic creations from the history of the revelation of the female body at Yves Saint Laurent, such as the first topless blouse, baptized by the American press the See-Through Blouse2 from spring–summer 1968, or the Nude Dress3, a black muslin dress belted with ostrich feathers from the following collection. Echoing the creations of Yves Saint Laurent, works by modern and contemporary artists punctuate the route.
After, break for tea or coffee and a pastry at Cyril Lignac Pastries, which is known for its amazing éclairs and baba au rhum. Or head to Girafe Restaurant (make sure to reserve in advance) at Trocadero for an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower while sipping a glass of champagne to conclude your Paris fashion tour.
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