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ABOUT OUR COLLECTIONS

Dear visitors, 

After the success of "A History of Fashion", our second collections tour will open to the public in June 2023.

This next collections tour will be an opportunity for you to discover a new history of fashion, from the 18th century to the present day, through our exceptional collections presented in a new theme dedicated to the body in motion.

The link between fashion and sport will be the subject of the second display of this new collections tour, echoing the Olympic Games that will be held in Paris in 2024.

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  • Haute Couture

Haute Couture

The year 1947 left its stamp on the history of fashion in the form of a new silhouette. With his first spring/summer haute couture collection, Christian Dior disrupted old codes with what the fashion editors immediately christened The New Look. Far removed from the canons of elegance imposed by the austere War years, this innovation ushered in the golden age of Parisian haute couture: the 1950s. 'Haute couture' stood for a system turning out luxurious, typically Parisian clothes for women: the garment was to be created in its entirety to the client's measurements, using the finest materials and the most demanding levels of skill.

Comprising over 7,000 labelled items from some thirty different makers, this is one of the most abundant, representative and exhaustive collections of its kind in the world – and a perfect reflection of the creative diversity of Paris's couture houses: Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel, Grès, Carven, Fath and Balmain in the 1950s were the forerunners of Yves Saint Laurent, Courrèges, Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin in the 1960s. With ready-to-wear prevailing over haute couture in the 1970s, the department's contents continue to provide a graphic illustration of the creativity of recent periods, with high points including garments by Christian Lacroix and by John Galliano for Christian Dior.

The many evening gowns, worn for galas, balls and premières are emblems of haute couture that fuelled the collective imagination.
At the same time, couturiers were alert to the need for discretion in more sober everyday situations, as was made clear by the taste and technical perfection of their dresses, suits and ensembles. The department's collection offers many illustrations of the double-edged savoir faire that makes haute couture what it is.

The collection began during the 1950s with donations by haute couture clients, or in the form of donations as tributes to a wife or mother, which explains the preponderance of these elegant memorabilia. Radical expansion came when the museum was set up in the Palais Galliera in 1977, with donations from the Duchess of Windsor, the Duchesse d'Orléans, Baroness Rothschild and Princess Grace of Monaco. These major additions were combined with gifts from the leading couture houses, which were keen to see their work preserved for the future. Examples include Cristobal Balenciaga, who gave Galliera prototypes from his most recent colections, and Yves Saint Laurent. There was, too, Givenchy whose gift included items from Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe.

  • Evening dress, Marcelle Dormoy

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening dress, Marcelle Dormoy
  • Dress and bolero, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Dress and bolero, Balenciaga, haute couture 1938. © Françoise Cochennec / Galliera / Roger-Viollet
  • Cocktail dress, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Cocktail dress, Balenciaga, haute couture 1960. © Julien Vidal/Galliera/Roger-Viollet
  • Ensemble, Chanel

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble, Chanel, Haute Couture 2017. © Françoise Cochennec / Galliera / Roger-Viollet
  • Ensemble, Alaïa

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble, Alaïa © Azentis
  • Dress and bolero, Germaine Lecomte

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Dress and bolero, Germaine Lecomte. © Françoise Cochennec / Galliera / Roger-Viollet
  • Ensemble, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble, Balenciaga © Azentis
  • Cocktail dress, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Cocktail dress, Balenciaga © Azentis
  • Ensemble, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble, Balenciaga © Azentis
  • Ensemble, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble, Balenciaga © Azentis
  • Ensemble, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble, Balenciaga © Azentis
  • Beach tunic, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Beach tunic, Balenciaga
  • Ensemble, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble, Balenciaga © Azentis
  • Hat, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Hat, Balenciaga © Azentis
  • Trousers, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Trousers, Balenciaga © Azentis
  • Trousers, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Trousers, Balenciaga © Azentis
  • Ensemble, Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble, Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld © Azentis
  • Ensemble, Grès

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble, Grès © Azentis
  • "Global warming" ensemble, Jean Paul Gaultier

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    "Global warming" ensemble, Jean Paul Gaultier © Azentis
  • Dress, Alaïa

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Dress, Alaïa © Azentis / Paris Musées, Palais Galliera
  • Dress, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    view of the dress, Balenciaga
  • Evening dress, Grès

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening dress, Grès © Eric Emo Evening gown, Madeleine Vionnet
  • Dinner dress, Jacques Griffe

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Dinner dress, Jacques Griffe
  • Long gown, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Long gown, Balenciaga
  • 'Fracinelle' day dress, Jacques Heim

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    'Fracinelle' day dress, Jacques Heim
  • Day dress, Jacques Fath

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Day dress, Jacques Fath
  • Ensemble, Balmain by Olivier Rousteing

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Balmain by Olivier Rousteing © Azentis / Paris Musées, Palais Galliera
  • 'Esperanto' suit, Carven

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    'Esperanto' suit, Carven
  • 'Palmyre' evening dress, Christian Dior

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    'Palmyre' evening dress, Christian Dior
  • 'Taglioni' evening dress, Pierre Balmain

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    'Taglioni' evening dress, Pierre Balmain
  • Evening dress, Jean Dessès

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening dress, Jean Dessès
  • “Caramba” dress and belt, Christian Lacroix

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    “Caramba” dress and belt, Christian Lacroix
  • Suit, Chanel

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Suit, Chanel
  • Cocktail dress and star, Chanel

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Cocktail dress and star, Chanel © Azentis / Paris Musées, Palais Galliera
  • Hostess pyjamas, Chanel

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Hostess pyjamas, Chanel © Azentis / Paris Musées, Palais Galliera
  • Long gown, Christian Lacroix

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Long gown, Christian Lacroix
  • 'Target' dress, Pierre Cardin

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    'Target' dress, Pierre Cardin
  • Day dress, Givenchy

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Day dress, Givenchy
  • Ensemble, Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble, Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld © Azentis / Paris Musées, Palais Galliera
  • Bustier and slip dress, Christian Lacroix

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Bustier and slip dress, Christian Lacroix
  • Evening ensemble, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening ensemble, Balenciaga
  • Ensemble, Christian Lacroix

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble Christian Lacroix
  • Short dress, Paco Rabanne

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Short dresse, Paco Rabanne
  • Suit, Courrèges

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Suit, Courrèges
  • Dress, Courrèges

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Dress, Courrèges
  • Evening gown and bolero, Grès

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening gown and bolero, Grès
  • Short evening dress, Yves Saint Laurent

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Short evening dress, Yves Saint Laurent
  • Evening gown, Grès

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening gown, Grès
  • Evening ensemble, Yves Saint Laurent

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening ensemble, Yves Saint Laurent
  • Evening gown, Grès

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening gown, Grès
  • 'Coups de roulis' evening ensemble, Christian Lacroix

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    'Coups de roulis' evening ensemble, Christian Lacroix
  • Daytime dress, Grès

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Daytime dress, Grès © Azentis / Paris Musées, Palais Galliera
  • Evening gown, Grès

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening gown, Grès
  • Evening dress, Grès

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening dress, Grès
  • Evening gown, Grès

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening gown, Grès
  • Evening gown, Pierre Balmain

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening gown, Balmain
  • Evening dress, Yves Saint Laurent

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening dress, Yves Saint Laurent
  • "Warm wine" ensemble, Jean Paul Gaultier

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    "Warm wine" ensemble, Jean Paul Gaultier © Azentis / Paris Musées, Palais Galliera
  • "Arabesque penchée", Jean Paul Gaultier

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Trench coat gown, Jean Paul Gaultier © Françoise Cochennec / Galliera / Roger-Viollet
  • Dress and culotte ensemble, Courrèges

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Dress and culotte ensemble, Courrèges
  • Evening dress, Balenciaga

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Evening dress, Balenciaga
  • Ensemble "Silvia R.", Valentino by Pierpaolo Piccioli

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Ensemble "Silvia R.", Valentino by Pierpaolo Piccioli © Azentis
  • Short dress, Paco Rabanne

    Voir la fiche de l'oeuvre
    Short dress, Paco Rabanne

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