Undeniably, fashion can draw crowds to museums: 708,000 visitors flocked to the Dior exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) in Paris in 2017. More recently, the retrospective that Dolce & Gabbana staged at the Grand Palais to showcase its aesthetic attracted more than 410,000 people in three months, despite the €22 entrance fee.

The phenomenon shows no signs of stopping, judging by the programming starting in June in decorative arts museums (Paul Poiret at MAD, Rick Owens at Palais Galliera, Yiqing Yin at the Cité de la Dentelle in Calais) and brand initiatives in their own exhibition spaces (Peter Lindbergh at Galerie Dior, flowers at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent). Additionally, fashion is stepping out of its usual framework by entering fine arts museums.

On January 24, the Louvre – despite having no clothing in its collections except for thirteen coats of the Order of the Holy Spirit – initiated this trend with "Louvre Couture", an exhibition that pairs art objects with designer outfits. Since March 26, its counterpart the Louvre-Lens has also staged garments for the first time, focusing on the link between the artist and their attire. Starting May 7 at the Petit Palais, the fine arts museum of the City of Paris, an exhibition on Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895), presented as "the inventor of haute couture," will open.

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