The Best Fashion Exhibitions To See This Year And Next
There's nothing like getting off our phones, switching off Netflix, and heading outdoors for a healthy dose of history. Thankfully, this season's cultural calendar is filled with a range of exhibitions offering just that. Whether you're in Paris or London, there's something worth taking your nearest and dearest to.
One show on our radar is the V&A’s Naomi Campbell retrospective that opened earlier this year, charting the trailblazing supermodel’s 40-year career. With over 100 haute couture and ready-to-wear looks on display alongside images by some of fashion’s most esteemed photographers, it's one to make sure you visit before the end of its run.
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The chance to catch a fabulous fashion exhibition can also be a great excuse to hop on the Eurostar for the day – Paris is the fashion capital of the world, after all. We're holding fire until next year and timing our trip to coincide with the opening of Du Coeur À La Main: Dolce & Gabbana, a suitably opulent celebration of the Italian designers' most iconic creations at the Grand Palais. The shows at Fondation Louis Vuitton are always worth a visit while you're in town, too.
If that's given you the urge to get out there and see a great exhibition, here are the best fashion, art and design shows that are currently on the ELLE UK team's cultural radar.
Naomi
Very few models have had as much of a cultural impact as Naomi Campbell. Thus, the V&A museum is celebrating the trailblazing supermodel’s 40-year career with a first-of-its kind-exhibition in London.
Pieces from Campbell’s own wardrobe will be on display alongside archive loans, bringing together over 100 ready-to-wear and haute couture looks designed the likes of Alexander McQueen, Azzedine Alaïa, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfeld and Virgil Abloh. Fashion photography will also play a prominent role, with imagery lensed by photographers including Nick Knight, Steven Meisel and Tim Walker on display. The show will also recognise her activism and philanthropic endeavours, giving a deeper insight into the British supermodel’s world beyond the catwalk.
Where: V&A South Kensington, London
When: Now until 6 April 2025
Tickets: £18
Memorabile, Ipermoda
Renowned art historian Maria Luisa Frisa has teamed up with the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (Italian fashion association) and Fondazione Bvlgari to bring together an extraordinary display of garments and accessories in Rome's MAXXI museum. Guests can see some of the most memorable high-fashion creations from the past few years, from Viktor & Rolf's avant-garde gowns and a Schiaparelli design worn by Bella Hadid on the Cannes red carpet, to Virgil Abloh's political pieces for Louis Vuitton, alongside archival materials and videos – that, together, tell the story of fashion as a tool for reflecting on the present.
Where: MAXXI, Rome
When: Now until 23 March 2025
Tickets: From €6
Barbie®: The Exhibition
Marking the 65th anniversary of the world's most famous doll, Mattel has joined forces with London's Design Museum to curate an exhibition that traces Barbie's appearance and cultural significance through the ages. From a rare first-edition 1959 doll to multicultural, modern-day iterations – including the first black, Asian, hispanic, curvy and Down Syndrome Barbies – guests can expect to see more than 250 objects on display for a full-scale immersion into all things plastic fantastic.
Where: Design Museum, London
When: Now until 23 February 2025
Tickets: £16
Du Coeur À La Main: Dolce & Gabbana
Step into Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana's world of fantastical fashion and Italian craftsmanship, as the celebrated design duo bring their sell-out exhibition to Paris for the first time. Du Coeur À La Main – meaning 'from the heart to the hand' – will take over ten rooms of the iconic Grand Palais to display Dolce & Gabbana's most iconic creations from throughout their stellar career, while also delving into their impressively varied sources of inspiration. Expect to see one-off couture pieces, rare archival gems, exquisite high jewellery, and much more.
Where: Grand Palais, Paris
When: January 10 – March 31 2025
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