The Louvre Wears Couture

For now, the Louvre has turned into a fashion show, presenting around 100 designs and accessories of 45 fashion houses among the museum's historical artifacts. Over an area of nearly 9,000 square meters, visitors can immerse themselves in a merging world of fashion and art. The intention of the exhibition - to broaden the perspective of how the Louvre is seen - opens the scope of art by unveiling the artistry and craftsmanship of famous fashion pieces. Moreover, Olivier Gabet, Director of the Decorative Arts Department at the Louvre, says: "Lots of people feel in phase with fashion, and this is a way of inviting them in and letting them discover that they're in phase with the museum, too."

It definitely wasn't easy to choose a limited number of fashion pieces, as the possibilities for curating the exhibition were endless, but the concept of Louvre Couture is precise: It's not just about presenting stunning contemporary fashion, but about relating it to the historical artifacts and settings of the Louvre Museum. The exhibition therefore follows the chronological order of the museum's collections, from Byzantium to the Second Empire. Sometimes the link between a distinctive design and the museum's collection is more fluid, as in the case of Jaqucemus' impressive robe from the Chouchou collection (F/W 23), embroidered with metallic flowers and decorated with crystals. Originally designed for Versailles, where Jacquemus' show took place, it now fits harmoniously into the Grand Salon. In other cases, the designer's reference to a particular artifact is very obvious. Karl Lagerfeld, for example, designed an intricate blue and white jacket for Chanel which is inspired by an 18th century commode. The juxtaposition of the jacket and the piece of furniture underlines the striking similaritiy. The creative team of Louvre Couture also wanted to give each fashion house its own dialogue. " We paid attention to details like symbolic numbers - Chanel has look number five (for its famous perfume), Dior has 30 (after its Avenue Montaigne headquarters)", Gabet explains.

Dating from 1949 to the present day, the designs on show come from historic fashion houses such as Chanel, Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton, as well as prominent independent designers such as Marine Serre and Iris van Herpen, underlining that the artistry behind their designs unites them all. This deep connection is also evident when designer Dries van Noten and Maria Grazia Chiuri, currently creative director at the Maison Dior, see one of Azzedine Alaïa's last designs - an elegant dressed crafted out of chiffon and iron - before he sadly passed away. Their deep admiration for the design highlights the emotions woven into the garment itself and shows that fashion is a true art, accompanied by remarkable creativity and craftsmanship.
The exhibition runs until 21 July 2025 and is sure to amaze visitors more than once.