Fondation Cartier is set to host an extraordinary fashion exhibition by Olivier Saillard, running from March 6th to May 25th, 2026. This immersive project, titled The Living Museum of Fashion, will offer visitors a unique exploration of the history of fashion through daily performances, installations, and archival displays, right in the heart of Paris.
A living history of fashion
Olivier Saillard transforms the Fondation Cartier and its spaces into a dynamic stage for fashion in motion. Drawing inspiration from the Grands Magasins du Louvre, where early “ready-made” garments first emerged, the exhibition presents clothing not as static objects but as living artifacts. Everyday attire, haute couture pieces, archival photographs, and mended or forgotten garments are displayed alongside gestures, poses, and gaits, forming a poetic narrative that bridges fashion’s social history with artistic creation.
Performances and installations
From March 6th to 21st, visitors can witness The Living Museum of Fashion as a daily performance. Models animate the exhibition, bringing garments to life while engaging audiences in spoken-word presentations, interactive fittings, and live interpretations of texts and archives. Special guests, including Tilda Swinton and Paloma Picasso, will participate in these performances, adding a layer of theatricality and historical resonance to the exhibition.
Alongside the main exhibition, Olivier Saillard extends his vision to the Belle Époque shop windows in the basement of the Palais-Royal metro station, part of the Valois Gallery. Here, mobile displays and wax figures transform the forgotten spaces into intimate vignettes of fashion history, presenting clothing as an expressive medium rather than a mere museum artifact.
The Living Museum of Fashion is more than an exhibition: it is a manifesto for a new kind of museum where movement, memory, and the intimate gestures of everyday wear are celebrated. Olivier Saillard’s visionary project invites Paris audiences to rethink the history of fashion through a performative, living lens.
Step inside Olivier Saillard’s universe as he shares his poetic approach to fashion, curatorial innovation, and the intimate stories clothes carry—read our full interview.
The Living Museum of Fashion
Courtesy of OLIVIER SAILLARD
Photography by GABRIELE ROSATI
