At the Louvre, about 100 incredible pieces from Chanel, McQueen, Louis Vuitton and Schiaparelli to go on display for the first time
While the men’s collections are in full swing and Couture is fast approaching, the Louvre Museum unveils today Louvre-Couturethe first major exhibition placing modern fashion masterpieces – and their inspiration – within the broader context of French history and decorative arts.
Alongside tapestries, armor, jewelry, enamels, goldwork, bronzes, cabinetwork, porcelain and other ornaments that embody the glory of French craftsmanship, there are looks from 45 houses and designers, including Balenciaga de Cristobal and Demna, Hubert by Givenchy, Christian Dior by John Galliano and Maria Grazia Chiuri, Schiaparelli by Daniel Roseberry, Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton and pieces from the latest collections – from Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel and Gianni Versace, as well as major independent brands like Marine Serre, Erdem, Undercover, Thom Browne and Iris van Herpen.
In all, around a hundred pieces of couture, ready-to-wear and accessories dating from 1949 to the present day are scattered in the Decorative Objects department on the first floor of the Richelieu wing. “Louvre Couture” will be celebrated in grand style on March 4 with the first annual Grand Diner du Louvre, an event sponsored by Visa Infinite. At press time, the organizers announced that 30 tables had already been sold at auction, thus meeting the fundraising objective of 1 million euros.
Star fashion curator Olivier Gabet, new director of the decorative arts department, spoke with Vogue about the making of the exhibition and what the world’s most famous museum brings to fashion – and vice versa.
This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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