Fashion in Motion #3: Between Couture and Winter Sports
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Today, I invite you to continue – and conclude – our exploration of the exhibition Fashion in Motion, which will showcase its final part until October 2025 at the Palais Galliera. This third chapter extends our understanding of the link between haute couture and sport, while highlighting the development of winter sports and their wardrobe. An installation that perfectly complements the first two parts and reflects both the evolution of society and that of fashion.
Fashion in Motion: An Evolving Exhibition
Launched in 2023, the Fashion in Motion exhibition at the Palais Galliera stands out due to its chapter format. It is indeed through three installations, spread over three years, that this dialogue between haute couture and sport is revealed to the public. After a first part focused on colors, and a second emphasizing the influence of seaside bathing on the wardrobe, it is now winter sports that become the common thread of this third and final chapter of the exhibition.
What Does the Third Installation of the Palais Galliera Exhibition Reveal?
As in the previous section, this third installation of the Fashion in Motion exhibition retains certain pieces from previous events. Notably, to illustrate the genesis of this relationship between sport and couture. We thus find early garments related to automobiles, walking, horseback riding, hunting, as well as the first suits that allowed enjoyment of the joys of the ocean. Clothing, accessories, period drawings, and photographs allow us to observe the evolution of society and how clothing has accompanied it.
Moreover, this third part highlights over 180 new pieces, revealing a new facet of the sports wardrobe. Among feminine, masculine, and androgynous silhouettes, we observe tennis, golf, and fencing outfits, emphasizing how sportswear has developed over the years. This is true both on the grass and off the courts and endurance tracks.
Fashion in Motion #3: A Focus on Winter Sports
After a second part that took us to the seaside, this third installment of the Fashion in Motion exhibition heads to the high mountains. Indeed, among the 180 new pieces presented, part of it sheds light on the rise of winter sports and the impact of this practice on textiles.
Much like the expansion of railway lines to seaside resorts, the creation of ski resorts has also evolved our wardrobe. We discover through the displayed pieces how the alpine world has opened new perspectives for creators and fashion houses. Between technical and creative challenges, brands have had to adapt to the mountains and their environment, requiring clothing that is both warm and practical.
We also observe how the idea of performance has integrated into the wardrobe. Notably, by exploring the technical capabilities of materials to create pieces that are no longer solely intended for recreational use, but also for competitive purposes.
These garments also highlight the social importance that the world of winter sports carries with it. Crafted with taste and elegance, the displayed silhouettes reflect the pursuit of a polished appearance, resonating with the upper class.
Our Opinion on the Fashion in Motion Exhibition
This third part beautifully concludes the Fashion in Motion exhibition cycle. Original in its structure of three parts, this installation has proven to be very interesting to discover. And this is true on many levels.
Beyond simply looking at fashion, the three installations at the Palais Galliera have allowed us to rediscover and understand the evolution of society, its morals, and its habits. We have observed the variations in codes regarding how to dress and think about clothing. From both a esthetic and technical perspective. It was also an opportunity to rediscover the expansion of sports practices, between playful and competitive visions. And how these have democratized, both for women and for different classes of society.
In addition to having the chance to observe pieces that are rarely exhibited (some of which are very old), the Fashion in Motion exhibition at the Palais Galliera offers us a journey through time with a unique and simply fascinating axis. Moreover, the richness of the pieces, including clothing, accessories, magazines, photographs, and sketches, testifies to an era, sometimes distant, but from which fashion still draws inspiration today.
Thus, it is an exciting and informative dialogue, between sport and fashion, that we discover. And you have until October 12, 2025 to explore the final installation.
