Four Must-See Exhibitions During Paris Haute Couture Week Fall/Winter 2026–2027

As the fashion world gathers in Paris for the Fall/Winter 2026–2027 edition of Paris Haute Couture Week from July 6 to 9, the city is also hosting a series of exceptional exhibitions celebrating fashion history, craftsmanship, and photography.

Beyond the runway shows, these museum exhibitions offer an opportunity to explore the artistry, heritage, and cultural influences that continue to shape haute couture today.

Here are four exhibitions worth adding to your Haute Couture Week itinerary.

Summary

1. Weaving, Embroidering, Embellishing — Palais Galliera

Among the highlights is Weaving, Embroidering, Embellishing: The Crafts and Trades of Fashion at Palais Galliera, Paris’ museum dedicated to fashion.

The exhibition celebrates the extraordinary craftsmanship behind fashion, showcasing the decorative arts that bring garments to life—including weaving, textile printing, embroidery, lace making, and artificial flowers.

Using flowers—a motif that has remained central to textile arts and fashion since the eighteenth century—as its guiding theme, the exhibition explores the remarkable diversity of decorative techniques through more than 350 works.

The presentation features creations from leading haute couture houses alongside works by emerging designers, including several pieces commissioned specifically for the exhibition. It also shines a spotlight on the artisans behind the scenes, from legendary maisons such as Lesage and Hurel to today’s contemporary makers, whose contributions have long remained in the shadow of celebrated couturiers.

Dates: Through October 18, 2026
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays until 9 p.m.
Location: 10 av. Pierre 1er de Serbie, 75116 Paris

2. Fashion in the 18th Century — Palais Galliera

Utica Queen – Ethan Mundt, 2021 © Eric Magnussen. Courtesy of Palais Galliera

Also on view at Palais Galliera is Fashion in the 18th Century: A Fantasized Legacy.

The exhibition explores the distinctive characteristics of eighteenth-century women’s fashion and examines how its aesthetics have been continually reinterpreted by designers through to the present day.

More than 70 silhouettes are displayed alongside exceptional historical garments, including a corset once associated with Marie Antoinette. Contemporary designs by CHANEL, Dior, Vivienne Westwood, and others are presented in dialogue with eighteenth-century fashion, illustrating how the era continues to inspire both couture and popular culture.

Visitors attending Haute Couture Week should note that the exhibition closes shortly after the collections conclude.

Dates: Through July 12, 2026 (final weeks)
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays until 9 p.m.
Location: 10 av. Pierre 1er de Serbie, 75116 Paris

3. Revealing the Feminine — Musée Cognacq-Jay

Courtesy of Musée Cognacq-Jay / Paris Musées

In the Marais district, Musée Cognacq-Jay is presenting Revealing the Feminine: Fashion and Appearances in the 18th Century, a collaborative exhibition with Palais Galliera.

Through portraits, courtly scenes, historic textiles, and decorative objects, the exhibition offers an immersive exploration of femininity and appearance during the eighteenth century.

It examines the rise of French style across European courts while revealing both the material realities and the cultural imagination that shaped women’s fashion during the Enlightenment.

Dates: Through September 20, 2026
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: 8 rue Elzévir, 75003 Paris

4. Lee Miller — Musée d’Art moderne de Paris

Lee Miller, Model with Lightbulb, Vogue Studio, London, 1943 © Lee Miller Archives, England 2025. All rights reserved

Musée d’Art moderne de Paris is hosting a major retrospective dedicated to Lee Miller, one of the twentieth century’s most influential photographers.

Miller’s extraordinary career spanned many roles: fashion model, Surrealist artist, portrait photographer, fashion photographer, and accredited war correspondent.

Organized by Tate Britain in collaboration with the Art Institute of Chicago, the exhibition traces her journey from her beginnings in New York through her wartime work across Europe, her years in Egypt, and the later stages of her career in London.

Rather than portraying Miller solely as a muse, the exhibition repositions her as one of the defining photographic voices of the twentieth century.

Dates: Through August 2, 2026
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursdays until 9:30 p.m.
Location: 11 Avenue du Président Wilson, 75116 Paris

Experience Paris Beyond the Runway

While Haute Couture Week is defined by spectacular runway presentations, the city’s museums offer a deeper understanding of the artistry, craftsmanship, and history that continue to shape contemporary fashion.

Conveniently located near many of the major couture venues, these exhibitions provide the perfect opportunity to step away from the runway and immerse yourself in the cultural foundations of fashion.

For visitors spending the week in Paris, combining couture shows with museum visits offers a richer and more meaningful way to experience one of fashion’s most important events.

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