Spring is just a few days away, so it's time to plan and get inspired. Here are our picks for the most exciting fashion exhibitions from London to Paris to see this spring.
“Antwerp Six”
Fashion Museum, Antwerp
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March 28, 2026 — January 17, 2027
Without a doubt, one of the most anticipated exhibitions of the season is the first ever exhibition dedicated to a group of bold Belgian designers known as the “Antwerp Six”: Dirk Bikkembergs, Anne Demelmeister, Walter van Beirendonk, Dries van Noten, Dirk van Saen and Marina Yi.
In 2026, it will be 40 years since six designers – all graduates of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp – rented a van and set off with their collections to the London British Designers Show. This event became a defining moment for modern fashion, capturing the attention of the fashion community and cementing Antwerp’s reputation as a city where new ideas are born in the world of design.
“Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior: A Dialogue of Form”
Azzedine Alaï Foundation, Paris
Until May 24, 2026
Designer Azzedine Alaia is also known as a collector of the world's greatest couturiers. The House of Dior holds a special place in his collection: around 600 pieces are now carefully preserved in the Azzedine Alaia Foundation. More than a hundred of them are being presented for the first time at La Galerie Dior – as evidence of the designer's deep admiration for Christian Dior and his successors – from Yves Saint Laurent to John Galliano.
In parallel, the Fondation Alaïa is presenting a unique exhibition of the works of these two masters of haute couture in its Parisian space. Alaïa, who worked for Dior for a few days in 1956, has fond memories of the atelier on Avenue Montaigne. Around thirty Christian Dior models from his collection are presented alongside an equal number of the couturier's own creations, demonstrating how the influence of the creator of the New Look was reflected in the work of the French designer of Tunisian origin. The exhibition's curator, Olivier Saylard, in collaboration with Gaël Mamin, offers a new reading of the history of the House of Dior through the eyes of a discerning collector, while at the same time discovering interesting parallels between Christian Dior and Azzedine Alaïa.
“Schiaparelli: How Fashion Becomes Art”
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
From March 28
“Before me, everything was black, or gray, or beige,” said Elsa Schiaparelli. The Italian designer, who opened her first atelier in Paris in 1927, challenged fashion, society, and herself: she experimented with cuts and textures, and bright prints were created for her by famous artists – American Man Ray and Frenchman Jean Cocteau. The exhibition “Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art” at the Victoria and Albert Museum will show more than 200 unique exhibits – from clothes and accessories to sculptures and paintings. Among them are the legendary “Skeleton” dress and a hat-shoe, the design of which was developed by Elsa's friend, Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali.
“Fashion of the 18th Century: A Fantasy Legacy”
Galliera Palace, Paris
March 14 — July 12
The Palais Galliera in Paris presents the exhibition “Fashion of the 18th Century: A Fantasy Legacy”, dedicated to the features of women's fashion during the Enlightenment and its numerous reinterpretations throughout the history of fashion up to the present day. Although the 18th century is often perceived as a distant and even dusty period, it was an important stage in the formation of the female image, which still influences the world of fashion and popular culture today. The exhibition will feature real pearls, such as Queen Marie Antoinette's corset, as well as a selection of iconic modern works from the collections of Chanel, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood.
“Many Shades of Grey”
Museum of Decorative Arts Berlin
May 5 – November 22
Madame Gre is a legendary French designer, the “Queen of Drapery”, known for her costumes for film and theatre from the 1950s to the 1970s. The exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Berlin will focus on Gre's work from this period and offers an opportunity to take a closer look at the mastery of draping, pleating and tailoring that made Madame Gre one of the most successful French designers.
“The Art of Costume”
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
May 10, 2026 — January 10, 2027
In the spring of 2026, the iconic The Met will open the exhibition Costume Art — the first exhibition to operate in the new museum space Condé Nast Galleries. The exhibition “Costume Art” is dedicated to how people have expressed themselves through clothing throughout different historical periods. The project emphasizes: clothing and the body have always been an integral part of art — regardless of era or cultural context. The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures and other objects from the museum's collection over the past five thousand years, as well as historical and contemporary clothing from the archives of the Costume Institute. By placing them side by side, Bolton demonstrates how clothing and fashion help to understand how people perceived themselves, their bodies and their role in society at different times
“Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary”
Bowes Museums, Durham, England
From March 28
An exhibition dedicated to one of Britain's most provocative designers, Vivienne Westwood. The exhibition traces her exceptional creative path: from the rebellious punk energy of her collaboration with Malcolm McLaren to the reinterpretation of historical costume and couture tradition in the 1980s and 1990s. The value of the exhibition is that it is structured in such a way that the audience is immersed in Westwood's universe and can follow the process of creating her work – from cotton mock-ups and deconstructed products to completed ensembles.