Our Tips for Visiting the Louvre Couture Exhibition
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Launched at the end of January, the Louvre Couture exhibition unveils a unique dialogue between art and fashion objects. In total, around one hundred pieces, created by 45 houses, are displayed in the heart of the Louvre’s permanent collections. Combining history and haute couture, this “double visit” is both intriguing and interesting. However, one can easily miss it due to a rather random path… Therefore, discover our tips to ensure you don’t miss a thing!
How does the Louvre Couture exhibition link history and fashion?
Where the Louvre Couture exhibition stands out is through its unique storytelling. Set in the Department of Decorative Arts, the selection of outfits and accessories aligns with the chronological timeline of the collection, thereby echoing the museum’s treasures with the creations of the designers.
Inspired by history, its colors, patterns, and symbols, the haute couture silhouettes reveal themselves between objects and showcases, highlighting how the arts and techniques resemble and influence each other. We discover creations with cuts inspired by period costumes, others playing with religious symbols or architectural motifs, accessories replicating statuettes, or even bringing a fashion touch to the sacred.
The Louvre Couture exhibition takes us on a journey from the Byzantine era to the Second Empire, passing through the Renaissance and the Middle Ages. This crossing of eras highlights how fashion draws from the past to create a vision of the present. And, how influences intertwine to revive periods that are now far behind us.
45 houses united within the same exhibition
The Louvre Couture exhibition offers a rare opportunity to discover such a diverse range of pieces. Bringing together creations made from the 1960s to the present day, the outfits and accessories presented highlight the work of 45 houses. One can observe the signature of each Artistic Director who has led them, and how their styles have marked the history of haute couture. Moreover, with the displayed models being so different, each creator and designer can thus stand out.
Art objects back in the spotlight
Placed here and there, the silhouettes allow visitors to delve into areas of the museum that are sometimes less frequented. This game of hide-and-seek thus provides the opportunity to discover absolutely splendid rooms, both in their decoration and the objects presented there.
Is the Louvre Couture exhibition worth the visit?
To begin with, I had to go to the Louvre Couture exhibition twice to find all the exhibited pieces… However, I’ll share my tips right after this, to ensure a perfect visit from the first time.
As for my feelings, I would say that my opinion on the Louvre Couture exhibition is a 50/50. At first, I expected a more “traditional” scenography that better showcases the pieces. Thus, the chosen layout somewhat confused me….
It is important to note that the idea of echoing art objects and the creations of the houses is very interesting, as it enriches the story of the couture piece. However, they are really scattered throughout the rooms and are often lost among showcases and imposing objects. As a result, the creations lose their significance and presence by being “swallowed” by the museum’s busy decor, which detracts from their craftsmanship details, making them quickly invisible.
Apart from this scenography point, which is 100% subjective and will depend on each individual, there is one major issue that seems to be agreed upon by everyone: the flow of the visit, which quickly turns into a mess. The Louvre Couture exhibition takes place on an entire floor of the Richelieu wing. This means: it’s huge, filled with a multitude of pieces, sub-pieces, corridors, and other passages, detours, and dead ends. In summary: a labyrinth, where one can easily miss a part of the exhibited pieces, especially since there is little, if any, signage…
How to fully enjoy the exhibition?
With two visits completed, here are some tips to fully enjoy the exhibition.
- Avoid free night openings (too many people pushing in the rooms, some of which are really narrow + the museum starts closing at 8:45 PM – early).
- Download the guide map on your phone in case the stock of maps runs out (which happened to me on my first visit) + allows you to cross off the creations you see as you go.
Among the must-sees, I would say that the following rooms are essential: 523, 544, 547, 602. And, my favorite goes to the beaded LOEWE dress, imagined by Jonathan Anderson for the Fall/Winter 2024/2025 collection, which I dreamt of seeing. Also, I recommend watching the (short) video in room 506, which shows the installation work of the exhibition.
In summary: it is far from being the fashion exhibition that has impressed me the most, nevertheless the idea of mixing couture creations with museum pieces creates an interesting and new dialogue. You have until July 21, 2025 to discover it.
