Dior by John Galliano
by Doria Arkoun
Ask fashion to not hold the spotlight, and it will find a way to squeeze itself among the artworks of the most iconic museum of all time — The Louvre, the temple of eternity, if ever there was one.
Or perhaps these silhouettes have always been here? That, at least, was the vision of curator Olivier Gabet and scenographer Nathalie Crinière as they brought this groundbreaking exhibition to life.
The first exhibition in the museum’s history dedicated to fashion – “Louvre Couture“ – transcends the usual boundaries of time and style.
“An exhibition is like a play,” Olivier Gabet reflects. “It has dramatic moments, quieter interludes, a beginning, an end, and grand scenes in the middle. It’s an experience, and that experience relies on dialogue — between the scenographer and curator, between the artwork and the fashion.”
Fashion has been invited to the Louvre,” explains Nathalie Crinière. “And like any guest, it has been treated with respect, naturally finding its place among the artworks.”
Over 9,000 square meters, 65 silhouettes bring together the biggest names in fashion from 1945 to today — alongside masterpieces dating back to the Byzantine era… Dior, John Galiano, Karl Lagerfeld, Jonathan Anderson, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Carven or even Marine Serre !
Balenciaga
Louvre Couture : An Invitation to Wander and Discover
This respect for the Louvre’s timeless architecture is mirrored in the exhibition’s design, which invites the audience not to rush but to flâner, to meander through the space and let the pieces reveal themselves slowly.
“The scenography isn’t about grabbing attention,” Nathalie Crinière says. “It’s about guiding the visitor’s gaze naturally, letting them encounter the couture as part of their journey through the museum.”
To achieve this, Nathalie Crinière and her team carefully integrated the fashion pieces into the existing structure, making use of the museum’s niches, vitrines, and architectural details. “We worked with what was already there,” she adds. “The dresses don’t impose; they appear, almost as if they’ve always belonged.”
One particularly poignant example of this interplay is the pairing of a 15th-century reliquary bust with a sculptural Schiaparelli gown. “There’s something profoundly natural about these encounters,” Nathalie Crinière notes. “These robes, these silhouettes, they belong here, speaking to the past as much as they do to the present.” The juxtaposition creates a moment of quiet revelation, a conversation between eras where one amplifies the other’s story.
The result is a journey that feels intuitive yet deliberate. “There’s an aspect of flânerie,” Olivier Gabet reflects. “The visitor isn’t directed but invited to explore, to let the dialogues between art and fashion emerge naturally.”
Jean Paul Gaultier
Fashion’s Invitation to the Temple of Eternity
The Louvre has long been a guardian of the eternal, its halls filled with relics and masterpieces that transcend time. Fashion, by contrast, is often viewed as ephemeral — here today, gone tomorrow. Yet this exhibition challenges that narrative, inviting couture to share the stage with history.
“If we invite fashion to the Louvre, it’s not to push everything aside and make room,” Olivier Gabet emphasizes. “It’s to create intense, subtle dialogues between the artworks and the couture.”
Fashion also acts as a powerful conversation starter. “Fashion, for me, is a prism for connecting people to the artworks,” Olivier Gabet explains. “As curators, we can talk all day about how incredible a piece is, but when a designer sees something and draws from it — or when a visitor connects it to popular culture — the dialogue changes. Fashion’s universality makes it an extraordinary bridge to art.”
Dries Van Noten
Moments of Connection: When Art Meets Couture
This seamless integration extends to the exhibition’s curation. Gabet and Crinière worked hand in hand to select not only the pieces but also their placement. “The exhibition is as much about what we chose to include as what we decided to leave out,” Olivier Gabet explains. “It’s a delicate dance of intuition, ideals, and pragmatism.”
Some rooms demanded drama, others subtlety. “In spaces with strong architectural elements, we needed more theatrical displays to hold their own,” Olivier Gabet shares. “But in more intimate rooms, the installations had to whisper, not shout.”
This balance is what makes Louvre Couture unique. The fashion doesn’t compete with the art; it enhances it, offering a new way of seeing both the garments and the masterpieces they accompany.
Schiaparelli by Daniel Roseberry
A New Chapter for Fashion and Museums
Ultimately, Louvre Couture is about connection — between the past and present, between the Louvre’s eternal art and fashion’s fleeting beauty, and between the museum and its visitors.
“Our hope,” Olivier Gabet reflects, “is that this exhibition inspires a younger, more diverse audience to engage with the museum, to see it not as a distant relic but as a vibrant, living space.”
“This exhibition isn’t about placing fashion on a pedestal,” Nathalie Crinière adds. “It’s about showing that it has always been part of the conversation — a guest, yes, but a guest who belongs.”
Chanel
Givenchy
As the exhibition draws visitors through its carefully curated rooms, one thing becomes clear: in the hands of Gabet and Crinière, fashion doesn’t just hold the spotlight. It dances with it, casting a light that illuminates both the timeless and the contemporary in one breathtaking display.
Fashion’s presence at the Louvre isn’t just a statement; it’s a manifesto. It’s proof that the ephemeral can dialogue with the eternal, that the boundaries between art and life are more fluid than ever. Louvre Couture invites us to reconsider not only the role of fashion but also the very nature of art itself.
And perhaps, as we leave the museum, we’re left wondering: were these silhouettes truly invited into eternity, or had they always been there — hidden within the paintings, waiting patiently for a designer’s mind to pull them into the light?
Informations
“LOUVRE COUTURE
OBJETS D’ART, OBJETS DE MODE“
From January 24 to July 212025
Musée du Louvre
