The Louvre Museum unveils its first-ever fashion exhibition, Louvre Couture: Art and Fashion – Statement Pieces, a breathtaking exploration of the relationship between haute couture and decorative arts. Running from January 24th to July 21st, 2025, this monumental exhibition brings together 65 garments and 30 accessories from leading designers, showcasing the enduring dialogue between fashion and the museum’s historical collections.
Curated by Olivier Gabet, director of the Department of Decorative Arts, and designed by scenographer Nathalie Crinière, the exhibition bridges centuries of artistic expression. Gabet explains that the goal is to understand how museums like the Louvre inspire fashion designers and nourish their creative processes.
The exhibition features works from 45 fashion houses, including Balenciaga, Chanel, Schiaparelli, and Iris van Herpen, displayed alongside masterpieces from the Louvre’s decorative arts collection. Pieces by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel and Demna for Balenciaga draw parallels between contemporary fashion and timeless art forms, while Iris van Herpen’s avant-garde designs evoke Renaissance-era craftsmanship through their intricate, otherworldly silhouettes.
Notable highlights include Marine Serre’s exploration of sustainability, blending modern innovation with ancestral techniques, and Nicolas Ghesquière’s creations for Louis Vuitton, which reinterpret historical ornamentation in a contemporary context. These designs are carefully integrated into galleries featuring period tapestries, opulent 18th-century interiors, and even Byzantine-era treasures, revealing the shared visual language between haute couture and decorative arts.
The exhibition also celebrates the longstanding influence of museums on fashion, with archival displays from fashion luminaries such as Jacques Doucet and Madame Carven, who contributed to the Louvre’s collections. Through this dynamic presentation, Louvre Couture invites visitors to view the decorative arts through the lens of contemporary fashion, underscoring how art and design remain deeply intertwined across time.
Courtesy of MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, photography by NICOLAS BOUSSER
