Paris, Capital of Fashion explores how and why Paris became the international capital of fashion. It will feature
approximately 75 fashion ensembles, dating from the 18th century to the present, as
well as accessories. Curated by Dr. Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT,
this major exhibition is accompanied by a book and symposium.
The introductory gallery places Paris within the global fashion system. After the
Second World War, Paris was repeatedly challenged by new fashion centers, such as
London, Milan, and New York. The first section of the main gallery focuses on the
rise of the Paris fashion system in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
The court at Versailles was the official epicenter of fashion, but fashion professionals
were based in the city of Paris and foreign visitors were amazed by the Parisian “mania”
for fashion. The second section explores the growth of the Paris fashion system with
its many métiers de la mode and its increased focus on feminine fashion. Particular
attention is paid to the development of the haute couture, which transformed dressmaking
from a small-scale artisanal craft into big business and high art. Today, globalization
and technology have transformed the world of fashion. Yet Paris remains a unique fashion
city.
Read more about Paris, Capital of Fashion.