The museum's history

The museum, founded through an initial donation from the French Société de l'Histoire du Costume (Society of the History of Costume), has been constantly changing since the 19th century, as seen through its ever-growing collections, its different locations and its cultural offering.

  1. 1907

    A collection is born

    The French Société de l’Histoire du Costume (SHC, Society of the History of Costume) was founded in 1907 on the initiative of Maurice Leloir (1853-1940), a painter, historian and collector. 

    Gustave Jacquet The French painter Maurice Leloir seated in front of his easel, 1909. Developed silver gelatine print, 17.5x12 cm. Donated by Maurice Leloir in 1922, K2909.
    © Palais Galliera / Paris Musées

  2. 1920

    30 December

    The SHC made an exceptional donation to the City of Paris. While waiting to find a location for the future municipal Costume Museum, as requested by the Society, the City of Paris entrusted the donation (2,000 items were added the existing collection) to the Carnavalet Museum.

    View of the Costume Museum's "Parisian costume from the 18th century to the Second Empire" exhibition in the ground-floor rooms of the Carnavalet Museum, in 1925.

  3. 1940

    Georges-Gustave Toudouze became the President of the SHC and pursued the work of Maurice Leloir, who died the same year. After the Second World War, the ever-growing interest in historical costume and contemporary clothing confirmed Paris as the capital of fashion.

    Maurice Leloir, ladies' and gents' costumes (around 1580), 1920. Photographic print, 24x16.5 cm. Acquired by the Palais Galliera, GALGRAHAL25-561.
    © Palais Galliera / Paris Musées

  4. 1954

    Carnavalet Museum

    As the 1950s dawned, thanks to the Taylor Foundation, the museum would be set up by temporarily transforming the Cercle Volney's (an artistic and literary circle) historic salons into a "costume museum". In 1954, the museum was finally created and displayed its most iconic items. Henceforth, some of the Carnavalet Museum's ground-floor rooms were reserved exclusively for displaying the collections.

  5. 1956

    23 November

    The Costume Museum was inaugurated, annexed to the Carnavalet Museum, on the ground floor of the City of Paris Museum of Modern Art (MAM). It remained there until 1971, when it was obliged to return to the Carnavalet Museum following the collapse of a ceiling in the MAM.

  6. 1977

    Installation in the Palais Galliera

    Under the direction of Madeleine Delpierre, Chief Curator, the Musée de la Mode et du Costume de la Ville de Paris (Paris Museum of Fashion and Costume) inherited the collections of costumes and accessories that had, until then, been housed at the Carnavalet Museum and became part of the network of City of Paris museums, which totalled some 14 establishments. Its storerooms and restoration workshops set up in the museum's basements.

  7. 1984

    Creation of the Graphic Arts Section

    Maurice Leloir, sketch of a court whalebone corset (around 1675), around 1900. Graphite pencil and watercolour on paper, 21x26.9 cm. Donated by Maurice Leloir, GALK345.
    © Palais Galliera / Paris Musées

  8. 1985

    Guillaume Garnier took over as head of the museum from Madeleine Delpierre.

  9. 1987

    Creation of the Contemporary Creation Department

  10. 1989

    Catherine Join-Diéterle took over from Guillaume Garnier (who died on 12 May 1989).

  11. 1994

    A restoration workshop and storerooms were inaugurated in a new location in the capital. The museum now had a full-scale laboratory to house garments and accessories in and that covered an area of 4,800 m2.

    © Agence Vu / Pierre Olivier Deschamps

  12. 1997

    The museum's name changed for the second time: the Musée de la Mode et du Costume de la Ville de Paris (Paris Museum of Fashion and Costume) became the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris (Paris Museum of Fashion).

  13. 2010

    Olivier Saillard took over from Catherine Join-Diéterle as the museum's head. The new director wished to take advantage of the renovation work to restore the museum to its former glory. The museum was considerably embellished, with the refurbishment of the exhibition rooms, the renovation of the court of honour, the bays, the wings and the sculptures, along with the private areas. This return to origins was accompanied by a name change and new visual identity. The Musée Galliera became the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris (Paris Museum of Fashion).

  14. 2018

    Miren Arzalluz took over from Olivier Saillard as director of the Palais Galliera. She was the driving force behind socially-conscious theme-based exhibitions that reflected the issues of modern-day society: "Frida Kahlo, Beyond Appearances", "A History of Fashion at the Palais Galliera", as well as "Fashion on the Move".

  15. 2020

    Major renovation

    After 2 years of major work, the museum reopened. Its spaces had now doubled in size to host the Palais Galliera collection exhibitions. A huge exhibition was showcased, devoted to Gabrielle Chanel "Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto" along with the presentation of the first tour of the Palais Galliera collections, a turning point in the museum's history.

    The Palais Galliera underground galleries being restored © Geoffroy Ménabréa, 2018
    The Palais Galliera underground galleries after restoration © Geoffroy Ménabréa , 2018