Fashion Exhibitions Around The World To See In 2026
From London to Paris, Antwerp to Los Angeles, 2026 is proving to be an exciting year for fashion lovers. Museums and galleries around the world are bringing together historic garments, haute couture, cultural dress, photography and contemporary fashion in exhibitions that show that fashion is much more than what we wear.
Whether you are a designer, fashion student, creative professional or simply someone who loves beautiful clothes and the stories behind them, these exhibitions are worth adding to your travel list.
Here are some of the fashion exhibitions around the world to see in 2026.
1. Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art — London, UK
Venue: Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), South Kensington
Dates: 28 March – 15 November 2026
Few designers demonstrate the connection between fashion and art as strongly as Elsa Schiaparelli.
At the V&A, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art explores the history of the fashion house from the 1920s to the present day. The exhibition looks at Schiaparelli’s collaborations with artists and her use of surrealism, unusual materials and imaginative designs.
Visitors can expect to see historic pieces alongside more contemporary work from the house under creative director Daniel Roseberry. (Victoria and Albert Museum)
If you are interested in fashion that challenges the traditional idea of what clothing can be, this is one exhibition to put high on your list.
Why visit: For the meeting point between haute couture, surrealism and art.
2. The Antwerp Six — Antwerp, Belgium
Venue: MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp
Dates: 28 March 2026 – 17 January 2027
Antwerp has played an important role in modern fashion history, and this exhibition celebrates six designers who helped put the Belgian city on the international fashion map.
The Antwerp Six are Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee.
The exhibition marks 40 years since their international breakthrough and brings their work together for the first major exhibition dedicated to the group. (MoMu Antwerp)
Their story began at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp before they presented their collections at the British Designer Show in London in 1986.
Why visit: It is an opportunity to understand how a group of young Belgian designers changed the direction of contemporary fashion.
3. WORN: Treasured Clothing — Amsterdam, Netherlands
Venue: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Dates: 27 March 2026 – 21 March 2027
What happens to clothing after years of being worn?
The Rijksmuseum’s WORN: Treasured Clothing offers a fascinating answer.
The exhibition brings together 24 garments and accessories dating from 1640 to 1930. Rather than presenting clothing simply as beautiful objects, it focuses on garments that were worn, repaired, altered and passed down through generations. (Rijksmuseum.nl)
Visitors can see evidence of mending, repairs and everyday use, providing a more personal perspective on the history of fashion.
It is a reminder that clothing can carry memories and stories long after it leaves the designer’s studio.
Why visit: For a closer look at the emotional and practical history of clothing.
4. Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity — Los Angeles, USA
Venue: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Dates: 14 June – 12 October 2026
Fashion can tell us a lot about society, identity and cultural change.
Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity explores more than a century of Chinese women’s fashion, from late Qing Dynasty clothing through the development of the qipao and cheongsam. (LACMA)
The exhibition features more than 70 garments and ensembles from Shanghai, Hong Kong and America.
It also explores how Chinese and Chinese American women used clothing to express identity and respond to major social changes.
Why visit: For anyone interested in cultural fashion, history and the relationship between clothing and identity.
5. Gianni Versace Retrospective — Paris, France
Venue: Musée Maillol
Dates: 5 June – 31 October 2026
Paris remains one of the world’s great fashion capitals, and 2026 brings a major retrospective dedicated to Gianni Versace.
Versace’s work is known for its bold prints, glamour, sensuality and dramatic approach to design. The retrospective looks at the career, inspirations and influence of the Italian designer. (Paris Je t’aime)
For fashion lovers, it is an opportunity to look beyond the famous Versace image and explore the creative ideas that made the designer one of the most influential figures in modern fashion.
Why visit: For bold Italian fashion, glamour and the legacy of one of fashion’s most recognisable designers.
6. Azzedine Alaïa and Africa — Paris, France
Venue: Fondation Azzedine Alaïa
Dates: 7 July 2026 – 1 April 2027
Azzedine Alaïa had a deep relationship with African culture and visual inspiration, and this exhibition explores that connection.
Azzedine Alaïa and Africa takes visitors into the designer’s African inspirations and provides another perspective on the creative influences behind his work. (Paris Je t’aime)
The exhibition is particularly interesting for visitors who want to explore the relationship between African culture and international fashion.
Why visit: To explore African influences through the work of one of haute couture’s most celebrated designers.
7. Looks, Looks, Looks — Antwerp, Belgium
Venue: MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp
Dates: 11 July – 8 November 2026
If you are interested in how fashion is actually created, this exhibition offers something different.
LOOKS, LOOKS, LOOKS – The Antwerp Fashion Department at Work takes visitors behind the scenes of the fashion department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp.
Instead of focusing only on finished garments, the exhibition shows student work alongside sketchbooks, drawings and other materials that reveal the creative process. (MoMu Antwerp)
Why visit: Particularly useful for fashion students, aspiring designers and anyone curious about the journey from an idea to a finished garment.
8. Ashes to Fashion — Belfast, Northern Ireland
Venue: Ulster Museum, Belfast
Dates: Extended until 3 January 2027
This exhibition has a remarkable story behind it.
In 1976, a devastating fire destroyed almost the entire original costume and textile collection of the Ulster Museum. Fifty years later, Ashes to Fashion tells the story of how that collection was rebuilt. (Ulster Museum)
The exhibition features fashion spanning from the eighteenth century to today, including historic garments and contemporary designs from houses such as Chanel and Versace. (Ulster Museum)
It also includes work by Northern Ireland-born designer Jonathan Anderson, including a piece created for Loewe. (Ulster Museum)
Why visit: It combines fashion, history, loss and cultural preservation in one powerful exhibition.
9. Fashion and Craft at the Palais Galliera — Paris, France
Paris has several important fashion exhibitions in 2026, but the Palais Galliera deserves special attention.
Weaving, embroidering, embellishing. The Crafts and Trades of Fashion explores the specialist craftsmanship behind fashion — the skills involved in embroidery, weaving, embellishment and other techniques used to create couture garments.
The exhibition runs until 18 October 2026. (Paris Je t’aime)
For many people, the finished garment is the main attraction. This exhibition encourages visitors to look more closely at the hands, skills and techniques behind it.
Why visit: To appreciate the craftsmanship behind luxury fashion.
10. Frida: The Making of an Icon — London, UK
Venue: Tate Modern
2026
Although this is not a conventional fashion exhibition, Frida: The Making of an Icon is highly relevant to anyone interested in the relationship between fashion, identity and popular culture.
The exhibition explores Frida Kahlo’s transformation into a global cultural icon. Tate’s current programme lists the exhibition at Tate Modern through 2026 and into January 2027. (Tate Online Shop)
Kahlo’s distinctive clothing, hairstyles, jewellery and use of traditional Mexican dress have become an important part of how her identity is understood around the world.
Why visit: To see how personal style can become part of an artist’s identity and cultural legacy.
More Fashion Exhibitions To Put On Your 2026 List
There are plenty of other exhibitions worth considering if you are planning a fashion-focused trip.
Reflections on Fashion — The Hague, Netherlands
Running at Kunstmuseum Den Haag from July 2026 to January 2027, this exhibition looks at fashion through contemporary perspectives and brings together different voices from the fashion world. (Exhibiting Fashion)
Fashioning Chinese Women — Los Angeles, USA
For visitors interested in Asian fashion history and cultural identity, LACMA’s exhibition remains one of the year’s particularly interesting shows. (LACMA)
Barbie: The Exhibition — Glasgow, Scotland
The exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum runs from June to October 2026 and explores the history and cultural impact of Barbie through fashion, design and popular culture. (Exhibiting Fashion)
Exposure: The Power of Being Seen — Trieste, Italy
Running from March 2026 into January 2027, this exhibition explores fashion photography and celebrity imagery, with figures including Harry Styles and Lady Gaga among its references. (Exhibiting Fashion)
Why Fashion Exhibitions Are Worth Visiting
Fashion exhibitions offer something that a normal fashion show cannot.
On a runway, we often see a garment for a few seconds before the model moves on. In a museum, we can stop and look.
We can see the stitching, fabrics, construction, colours and small details. We can learn about the person who designed the garment, the person who wore it and the society in which it was created.
More importantly, fashion exhibitions show us that fashion is part of culture.
Clothing can tell stories about:
- identity
- gender
- politics
- social change
- technology
- craftsmanship
- migration
- art
- popular culture
- personal expression
That is why the best fashion exhibitions feel like much more than a collection of beautiful clothes.
Planning Your Fashion Exhibition Trip in 2026
If you are travelling specifically to see fashion exhibitions, London and Paris are probably the easiest cities to build a fashion-focused trip around, with Antwerp and Amsterdam also offering strong programmes.
London gives you exhibitions such as Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art and Frida: The Making of an Icon. Paris offers several exhibitions across institutions including the Palais Galliera, Musée Maillol and Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Antwerp is particularly attractive in 2026 because of the 40th-anniversary celebration of the Antwerp Six. (Victoria and Albert Museum)
But you don’t necessarily need to travel to the traditional fashion capitals. Los Angeles, Belfast, Glasgow, Amsterdam and other cities are also offering exhibitions that explore fashion from very different cultural perspectives.
Final Thoughts
2026 is a great year for fashion lovers.
From the surreal world of Elsa Schiaparelli in London to the legacy of the Antwerp Six, from Chinese women’s fashion in Los Angeles to the rebuilt collection of the Ulster Museum, this year’s exhibitions show just how many stories can be told through clothing.
And perhaps that is the most interesting thing about fashion.
A dress is never just a dress.
It can be art. It can be history. It can represent identity, culture, rebellion, memory or creativity.
So, if you have the opportunity to visit one of these exhibitions in 2026, don’t just look at the clothes.
Look at the story behind them.
Dates and exhibition details can change, so check the museum’s official website before planning your trip.
