TLC Paris / Musée des Arts Décoratifs

LOOK!

Forty years of fashion at the museum.

Fashion is more than a fleeting moment on the runway. It is an idea, a gesture, a craft — and sometimes a masterpiece that deserves to be preserved.

30 September 2026 — 4 April 2027
01 / The creative imagination

MORE THAN
FASHION.

Schiaparelli couture dress by Daniel Roseberry, Matador couture collection, 2021–2022
Schiaparelli by Daniel Roseberry — Matador Couture Short dress in wool crêpe and duchesse satin, with painted and embroidered taffeta flowers. Paris, Haute Couture, Autumn–Winter 2021–2022. © Les Arts Décoratifs / Christophe Dellière

A couture dress can be a sculpture, a statement, or a world of its own. At the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, extraordinary garments reveal the imagination, precision and artistic vision behind fashion.

LOOK! celebrates four decades of exhibitions devoted to fashion, exploring the journey of a creation from its earliest conception to its place in the museum's collections.

02 / From the first idea

BEFORE
THE RUNWAY.

Every creation begins somewhere. A pencil mark, a fabric experiment, a technique explored by hand. Long before the final silhouette appears, imagination takes shape through a series of decisions, discoveries and revisions.

Fashion design sketches by Marguerite Porracchia, circa 1945–1950
Marguerite Porracchia — Fashion Sketchbook Designs for women's fashion, circa 1945–1950. Graphite pencil with gouache highlights. © Les Arts Décoratifs
De plis en aiguilles fashion prototype
De plis en aiguilles — Prototype Experimental prototype exploring the making and construction of fashion. © Les Arts Décoratifs / Lucy Winkelmann
03 / The language of fashion

DIFFERENT
VISIONS.

Yohji Yamamoto jacket and skirt, Autumn–Winter 2003–2004
Yohji Yamamoto — Jacket and Skirt Wool fabric, silk chiffon and nonwoven textile. Ready-to-wear, Autumn–Winter 2003–2004. © Les Arts Décoratifs / Jean Tholance

Fashion moves between structure and freedom, restraint and extravagance.

Across generations, designers continually challenge how garments relate to the body, movement and identity.

From the dramatic gestures of haute couture to the subtle architecture of avant-garde design, the exhibition invites visitors to look beyond trends and discover fashion as an evolving form of artistic expression.

04 / Forty years of fashion exhibitions

FASHION
REMEMBERED.

A museum does more than display beautiful garments. It builds a memory of fashion, connecting designers, collections, curators and visitors across generations. LOOK! also reflects on the history of fashion exhibitions at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

Julio Donoso photograph of the Christian Dior exhibition in 1987
Julio Donoso — Hommage à Christian Dior Mannequin wearing a Christian Dior dress by Marc Bohan, photographed in front of the Bar suit during the exhibition Hommage à Christian Dior – 1947–1957, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 1987. © Getty Images
Jean-Marie Périer photograph of the museum conservation team in 1997
Jean-Marie Périer — Museum Reopening, 1997 Conservation team and the president of the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs at the reopening of the Musée de la Mode et du Textile. © Les Arts Décoratifs / Jean-Marie Périer
05 / A lasting legacy

MADE
TO LAST.

Fashion may begin as something made for a particular season, but certain creations transcend their moment.

Preserved within museum collections, exceptional garments become witnesses to artistic invention, technical mastery and the changing ideals of their time.

LOOK! reveals how the ephemeral world of fashion becomes part of our shared cultural heritage.

Christian Dior Soirée de Bagdad haute couture evening dress, 1955–1956
Christian Dior — Soirée de Bagdad Embroidered silk satin with beads, rhinestones, sequins, metallic threads and decorative elements. Paris, Haute Couture, Autumn–Winter 1955–1956, Y Line. © Les Arts Décoratifs / Christophe Dellière
Plan your visit / Paris 1st

EXPERIENCE
LOOK!

Discover four decades of fashion exhibitions at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, in the heart of Paris beside the Louvre.

Exhibition
Look! 40 ans de mode au musée
Dates
30 September 2026 – 4 April 2027
Address
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
107 rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris
Opening
Tuesday–Sunday, 11:00–18:00.
Closed Mondays. Check the museum for exhibition-specific opening hours.
Official museum website →
TLC Paris editorial selection. Exhibition dates and visitor information may change. Please consult the museum's official website before visiting. All images and artworks remain credited to their respective creators and rights holders.