LOOK! puts the hidden work of preserving fashion on display
Opening in Paris on 30 September, the exhibition uses 40 silhouettes to connect couture’s creation with its life inside a museum collection.
What happens to a garment after the runway, the photograph and the wearer? LOOK! 40 ans de mode au musée will explore that question at the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris from 30 September 2026 to 4 April 2027. The exhibition marks four decades since the creation of the Musée des Arts de la Mode.
The City of Paris programme describes a selection of 40 silhouettes alongside material that follows clothing from design into a collection. Sketches, patterns, embroidery samples and photographs widen the focus beyond the finished outfit. The announced approach makes the processes behind fashion part of the exhibition’s subject, rather than merely background to famous names.
Beyond the finished outfit
Preservation is the other half of the story. Documentation, storage, restoration and the mounting of clothing on mannequins all feature in the programme description. An object can be visually striking and still demand careful decisions about how it is supported and shown. That is a useful question to take into the galleries, not a claim about any treatment WHIF has observed.
The regional tourism listing places the exhibition in the museum’s nave at 107 rue de Rivoli. It lists opening from 11am to 6pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and weekends, with a Thursday late opening until 9pm and Monday closure. Check the museum’s booking information for tickets, holiday exceptions and any changes before travelling.
A museum visit, not a runway invitation
Paris je t’aime also includes LOOK! in its 2026 fashion-exhibition programme, describing the connection between couture workshops and museum preservation. This is a public museum exhibition with a run extending into spring, not an invitation-only runway show or an event confined to fashion week.
This preview is based on published programme and visitor information, not a visit before opening. The city and tourism listings agree on the exhibition dates, but their promotional descriptions are not independent reviews of the finished display. For visitors, the practical opportunity is to look beyond an outfit’s surface and ask how fashion becomes a historical collection.
Sources & context
Reporting and reference material used for this article. Context sources do not independently confirm every news claim.
- City of Paris: LOOK! 40 ans de mode au musée ↗Official city programme listing: exhibition concept and collection work
- Visit Paris Region: LOOK! ↗Regional tourism reference: dates, address and advertised visitor hours
- Paris je t’aime: 2026 fashion exhibitions ↗City tourism programme context, not an independent exhibition review
Written for WHIF from the linked material. This article does not claim on-the-ground reporting. Our editorial standards.