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Top Fashion Museums Around the World
Top Fashion Museums Around the World
Love Happens features top fashion museums around the world! Explore beautiful fashion, style, and clothing trends throughout time and across a vast range of cultures. From Milan, Tokyo, New York City, and Paris, indulge your fashion fix and broaden your fashion expertise through time, era, and culture.
Costume Institute at the Met – The Anna Wintour Costume Center at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Charles James Evening Dress, 1946; Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Costume Institute at the Met contains a collection of more than 35,000 costumes and accessories, and represents fashion from five continents and seven centuries of stylish dress, regional garments, and accessories for men, women, and children, ranging from the fifteenth century to present day. The Costume Institute was redesigned and reopened in 2015, after a two-year renovation as the Anna Wintour Costume Center with the exhibition Charles James: Beyond Fashion.
Christian Dior Museum and Garden—Granville, France
Treasures of the Collection; Source: Musee Christian Dior
The Christian Dior Museum and Garden flourishes as one of the only French museums dedicated solely to lavish couturier. This creative masterpiece is renowned for its elegant, trendy, and very pink atmosphere, making it perfect for fashion lovers looking to enliven their style senses. The museum features signature Christian Dior designs throughout past decades, embodying contemporary and historical in the most harmonious way.
Ferragamo Museo—Florence, Italy
Ferragamo Museo; Source: Salvatore Ferragamo Museo
If you love shoes and the craftsmanship of Italian designers, this museum will be a guaranteed hit. The Ferragamo Museo is devoted to all things Salvatore Ferragamo, from the company’s history to the life of it’s founder: Salvatore Ferragamo’s passion, dedication, and notable creations.
Museum at FIT—New York City
Alexander McQueen Dress, Plato’s Atlantis Collection, Spring 2010; Source: Museum at FIT
The Museum at FIT is highly regarded in the world of fashion. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, an exclusive selection of museums worldwide from the Muse de la Mode, the Mode Museum, and the Museo de la Moda. The Museum at FIT strives to create exhibits that are entertaining as well as educational, hoping to expand visitors’ knowledge, interest, and love of fashion and style.
Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent—Paris + Marrakesh
Yves Saint Laurent, 1971, La collection du scandale; Source: Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent
The Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent aims to preserve the legacy of one of the world’s top designers, Yves Saint Laurent. Laurent’s partner, Pierre Berge, opened this museum to ensure the legacy of the great designer. The foundation preserves all things related to Saint Laurent’s creations, from drawings, sketches, accessories, and even some of his famous haute couture creations.
Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode—Paris
Martin Margiela, Spring-Summer 1990. Made from slashed posters overlaid on a cotton base; Source: Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode
The Palais Galliera is home to the famous Musée de la Mode in Paris. The space includes of over 100,000 pieces of the world’s finest clothing and accessories. The pieces are among the richest in the world, portraying French fashion trends throughout three centuries. The Musée Galliera presents exclusive exhibits two or three times a year, sought after and widely attended from fashion lovers all over the world.
Museum of Fine Arts and Lace (Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle)— Alençon, France
Source: Museum of Fine Arts and Lace[/caption]
The Museum of Fine Art and Lace present exquisite lace collections from Italy, France, and Belgium. Local craftsmanship and the notable Alençon stitch make this museum so highly regarded and special to the region. The Fine Art selection features elegant pieces across three centuries, attracting visitors on a national and international level.
Gucci Museum—Florence
Source: Gucci
The renowned Gucci Museum in Florence, Italy, debuts the Gucci Garden inside the historic and beautiful Palazzo della Mercanzia. The museum was established by Gucci’s creative direct Alessandro Michele, and the newly styled interior holds fabulous features you won’t want to miss. The space features a store with one-of-a-kind items, Michelin star restaurant ,Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, and the Gucci Garden Galleria exhibition rooms created by Maria Luisa Frisa.
Museum of Bags & Purses (Tassenmuseum Hendrikje)—Amsterdam
Source: Tassenmuseum Hendrikje
This exclusive museum is the largest of its kind in the world, portraying the history of the handbag in Western culture from the late Middle Ages to contemporary, high fashion times. The Museum of Bags and Purses is vastly known as ‘The Bags and Purses Knowledge Centre,’ as it contains all you need to know about this signature piece. Share your passion and love of handbags at the Museum of Bags and Purses.
Victoria and Albert Museum—London
Mantua, 1755-60, England; Source: Victoria and Albert Museum
Named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, The Victoria and Albert Museum is famous as the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design. The museum holds a collection of over 2.3 million art and design objects, making it a must-see stop during your next trip to London. Founded in 1852, the museum holds notable fashion pieces and features some of the greatest, most iconic designers of our time.
ModeMuseum (MoMu) — Antwerp, Belgium
Contemporary Fashion from the MoMu Collection; Source: MoMu
The ModeMuseum, otherwise known as MoMu, was established in 2002 to display the best fashion and style trends throughout history. In addition to an historical assortment of Western European ensembles and textiles, the MoMu also houses the largest collection of contemporary and trendy Belgian fashion.
Balenciaga Museum—Getaria, Spain
Source: Museo Balenciaga
The Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum is devoted to the professional career and personal life of Getaria native and famous high-fashion designer, Cristóbal Balenciaga. The respected designer made his name through his chic haute couture that dominated the 20th century. The museum has conserved and increased his fabulous collections, while making them more accessible to the public eye.
Museo Frida Kahlo—Mexico City
Vista de la Sala; Source: Photo by Miguel Tovar via Museo Frida Kahlo
The Museo Frida Kahlo was once home to the renowned and unique Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. The inspiring visionary lived and died in Casa Azul (Blue House), and the building was transformed into a museum following her death. The painter used this space as a an escape to paint and create, and now almost every visitor to Mexico City takes the journey to her home in order to gain a deeper understanding of the painter and her work. The museum is filled with mementos of her past, personal belongings, hispanic and Mexican crafts, and much more.
Palazzo Fortuny–Venice
Source: Palazzo Fortuny
Once owned by the renowned Pesaro family, this Gothic building was transformed by Mariano Fortuny into his own stage-design, photography, textile, and painting studio. The Palazzo Fortuny maintains the working environment of the designer, and is portrayed through precious wall-art, famous lamps, grand garments, and eclectic paintings that reflect the artist’s inspiration and convey his unique intellectual presence at the turn of the 19th century.
Bata Shoe Museum—Toronto
Source: Bata Shoe Museum
The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto is one of the most renowned shoe museums in North America. The museum holds over a thousand shoes and related artifacts, and celebrates the evolution, functionality, and style of footwear in four impressive galleries. From the Chinese bound foot shoes to ancient Egyptian sandals, over 4,500 years of history are on display at the Bata Shoe Museum. Explore contemporary style and historical trends through this unique experience!
Fashion Museum—Bath, England
Sugar pink silk appliqué dress by Christopher Kane;Source: Fashion Museum Bath
The Fashion Museum in Bath, England, was established in the 1963 by designer, collector, writer, and scholar, Doris Langley Moore. The impressive designer donated her famous private collection of costume to the city of Bath, and the museum has been a hit ever since. The Fashion Museum holds a world-class selection of modern and historic dress, attracting over 100,000 visitors to the space every year.
SCAD FASH—Atlanta, GA
Source: SCAD FASH
SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion and Film celebrates fashion as a universal language, pieces as significant concepts of identity, as well as films ability to bring people together. Located within the SCAD Atlanta campus, SCAD FASH highlights the future of fashion design by connecting its history and evolution through conceptual and contextual principles of style. Explore this top fashion museum, and be inspired engaging presentations, dynamic exhibitions, and captivating event at SCAD FASH.
Simone Handbag Museum—Seoul, South Korea
Source: Simone Handbag Museum
The Simone Handbag Museum is the brainchild of Kenny Park the founder and CEO of the luxury handbag producer, Simone, based in Seoul. Her star exhibition curator, London-based Judith Clark, creates each exhibit to perfection. The museum presents luxury handbags dating back five centuries, and celebrates current handbag trends and high-fashion. If you love handbags, you’ll love the Simone Handbag Museum!
Museo de la Moda—Santiago, Chile
Source: Museo de la Moda
The Museo de la Moda is chic, sleek, and highly regarded. The privately operated fashion museum contains a vast and exquisite collection of Western clothing, with a strong emphasis on the glory of 20th century fashion designers. Of the 10,000 piece collection, star attractions are John Lennon’s 1966 jacket, the ‘cone bra’ Jean Paul Gaultier designed for Madonna and an evening gown donned by Lady Diana in 1981. Santiago, Chile, just made the top of my list for my next vacay.
Palazzo Morando—Milan
Source: Wall Street International
Located in the heart of Milan’s fashion district, Palazzo Morando is a hot-spot for fashion lovers touring the global capital of fashion and design. The palazzo is packed with a sumptuous collection of antique objects, sculptures, costumes, and fine paintings. The work portrayed in Palazzo Morando depict a fascinating story and convey authentic insight into Milan and its past.
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising—LA
Source: Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising offers a wide range of degree programs in design and creative business. The institute aims to promote creativity, imagination, and drive, with talented faculty in the industry who bring their experience and connections into the classroom. Creating a dynamic, career-focused learning environment is top priority for the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, ensuring students will make the most of their education and careers.
Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum—Tokyo
Source: Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum
Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum is one of few museums in Japan devoted solely to fashion and clothing. One of our top favorite fashion museums, The museum is affiliated with Bunka Fashion College, Tokyo’s highly regarded and elit fashion school, where it gained its name. Since opening its doors to the public in 1979, the museum has held four exhibitions a year under the theme “Understanding the Culture of the World and Japan through Clothing.” Feast your eyes with beautiful fashion, and enhance your cultural understanding of Europe and Asia at the Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum in Tokyo.
Museo del Traje—Madrid
Source: Museo del Traje
Located in Madrid, Spain, The Museo del Traje is globally known for its fashion and costumes, retaining a collection of over 160,000 pieces and documents. Clothing dates from the Middle Ages to present day, featuring many of Spain’s luxe, contemporary fashion designers. Museo del Traje preserves and promotes Spain’s cultural past through its fashion evolution that transformed throughout history.
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