Many of Europe‘s major cities will be staging new exhibitions of fashion in 2026, bound to attract lovers of style and social history. Here are some of the ones that might tempt you to travel.
London
Elsa Schiaparelli
V&A
This will be the V&A’s first exhibition of the provocative and influential Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli, spanning from the 1920s to the present day under the current creative leadership of Daniel Roseberry. A key figure in fashion, art and performance, Schiaparelli was an arch rival of Coco Chanel, who launched her house at the same time. She came to Ireland in April 1953 invited to judge some ready-to-wear clothing – “a new industry for them and full of promise”, she wrote in her autobiography. Around 200 objects will be on view, including some of her most radical designs. From March 28th-November 8th, vam.ac.uk
Antwerp
Antwerp Six
MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp
This exhibition, the first ever devoted to the celebrated Belgian designers called the Antwerp Six, marks the 40th anniversary of their international breakthrough. Beginning with their time as students of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, it traces the careers of Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonch, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee, that began when they presented their collections at the British Designer Show in London and established the Antwerp as a capital of fashion. Their designs continue to have influence today. The exhibition will be accompanied by an extensive series of events and a lavishly illustrated 400-page catalogue. From March 28th-January 17th, 2027, momu.be
Paris
Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior: Two Masters of Couture
Azzedine Alaïa Fondation (18 rue de la Verrerie)
His clothes helped shape the 1980s and some of the most glamorous bodies in the world, but the Tunisian designer Azzedine Alaïa turned his back on fashion’s obsession with the new as he followed his own unique artisanal path. His clothes, said one woman, “are like supple armour, you’re sheathed to kill”. He only spent a few days as an intern with Dior, but remained a boundless admirer, and collected around 500 Dior designs. The exhibition brings together 70 designs of the two couturiers. Until May 24th, fondationazzedinealaia.org
40 Years of Fashion
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
This exhibition marks the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Museum of Decorative Arts and how garments are transformed into works of art. It follows the initial sketch to the runway through photography and public display, unveiling the stages of creation, conservation and restoration that brings the heritage item to life. Four iconic silhouettes bring the visitor on a journey that celebrates haute couture masterpieces and emerging designs while exploring the social and cultural role of clothing. September 29th – April 4th, 2027, madparis.fr
Passion XVIIIe siècle: Feminine Fashion in the Age of Enlightenment
Palais Galliera
A sumptuous exhibition that celebrates feminine fashion at a pivotal moment in the history of style when silhouettes, fabrics and hairstyles diversified. More than 70 items are featured, including a corset that belonged to Marie Antoinette. A number of pieces from contemporary designers who drew from the aesthetics of that period also help to show fashion history in a new light. Until July 12th, palaisgalliera.paris.fr
Weaving, Embroidery, Embellishment: The Craft of Fashion
Palais Galliera
A series of three successive exhibitions devoted to the skills and crafts involved in the creation of Parisian couture. It explores the specialised jobs and techniques in the fashion industry from different angles, showcasing items from the museum’s extensive collections that offer a fresh perspective on the history of fashion from the 18th century to the present day. Until October 18th, palaisgalliera.paris.fr
Dundee
The Art of the Fashion Show
V&A Dundee
The fashion show has grown from an intimate salon presentation to a global spectacle, generating images that are shared worldwide. This fascinating exhibition traces its evolution from the private salons of the late 19th century to today’s livestream experiences, documenting a century of fashion-show history. It brings together renowned designer names as well as documenting seminal moments, from Alexander McQueen spray-painting garments on the runway to Fendi at the Great Wall of China and more. A richly illustrated catalogue will accompany the show. April 3rd-January 17th, 2027 vam.ac.uk/dundee
Madrid
The Garment Museum
The Garment Museum reopened in 2022 preserving a wide variety of historic and contemporary collections, with 1,000 pieces on view including a rich collection of regional costumes. Half of them have never been on display before, including rare but important items from the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as significant collection of garments from the most important designers of the 20th century. esmadrid.com
Berlin
Many Shades of Grès
Museum of Decorative Arts
The French fashion designer Madame Grès (1903-1993), born Germaine Barton, was considered one of the most important pioneers of haute couture in the 20th century. She trained as a sculptor; her floor-length pleated gowns in the 1930s drew from Greek statuary and her use of the female figure was both inspiration and anchor. “I like to make a waist look thinner, a bust higher – I want people to guess about the shape underneath,” she once said. The House of Grès opened in 1942 at rue de la Paix in Paris, where her success continued until the business was sold in the 1980s. Her designs reflect a continuous engagement with art and culture. The exhibition features 24 outfits. March 28th-September 6th, smb.museum
Durham
Vivienne Westwood: Rebel-Storyteller-Visionary
Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle
This multi-gallery exhibition honours one of British fashion’s most provocative and imaginative designers, Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022). It charts her career as a punk and early partnership with Malcolm McLaren, to her reinvention of historical dress and couture in the 1980s and 1990s. The exhibition features many rarely seen items from private collections, and offers an unprecedented glimpse into her artistry and defiance of convention that challenged the fashion world. March 28th-September 6th, thebowesmuseum.org.uk
Rome
Venus: Valentino Garavani through the Eyes of Joana Vasconcelos
PM23 Fondazione Valentino Garavani
Opening at PM23, a cultural space envisaged in Rome by Valentino and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti, this major new exhibition was conceived as a dialogue between art, fashion and the city by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos. The exhibition brings together works and site-specific creations, and unfolds as a journey where art and haute couture engage, described as a dialogue between two artists who “speak to each other until they converge in a final almost suspended moment”. The exhibition extends throughout the city via a constellation of public installations. Until May 31st, piazzamignanelli23.com
Switzerland
Mise en Scène: Fashion Photography from the Belle Époque to the Present Day
Textile Museum, St Gallen
This exhibition illustrates more than 120 years of fashion, photography and social history. A mirror of social change, fashion photography tells stories not just about clothing but about body images and ways in which roles are perceived. Mise en Scène brings together works by renowned photographers along with textiles and fashion. July 3rd-February 28th, 2027, textilmuseum.ch