A History of Fashion, Collecting & Exhibiting at the Palais Galliera

Abstract

In October 2020, the Palais Galliera in Paris, the only permanent fashion museum in France, reopened its doors after a two-year renovation designed by architect Dominique Brard. The new Salles Gabrielle Chanel added 7,535 square feet to the basement, doubling the exhibition space of the museum and allowing for the creation of galleries that will display objects from the permanent collection. The exhibition A History of Fashion, Collecting & Exhibiting at the Palais Galliera opened in October 2021 and was the second exhibition presented in the new space. The aim of the exhibit was to introduce visitors to the history of French fashion and to the role of the Palais Galliera in the construction of the history of Paris. The exhibition featured a selection of about 350 objects from the museum’s permanent collection of more than 200,000 pieces that date from the eighteenth century to the present day. Due to the fragility of some of the pieces, the display will be changed approximately every six months. The first objects displayed in the hall of the Salle Gabrielle Chanel were an eighteenth-century robe volante, made of pale yellow and silver silk brocade lampas, and a 2019 black satin coat and rose-patterned dress in blush and black with red accents by Comme des Garçons. The juxtaposed pieces, although centuries apart, shared a similar silhouette with volume added to the hips, creating an immediate visual connection between a historical garment and a contemporary design. This idea of fashion being born again was one that the visitor could explore throughout the exhibition. As well, the introductory