It might seem strange that Paris, long a world center of fashion culture, does not have its own permanent fashion museum. However, according to a recent press release by the Palais Galliera, that’s about to change.
The House of Chanel will be partnering with the City of Paris to bring permanent displays to the Palais Galliera. The sponsorship will be long-term, and Chanel will be the only sponsor. By bringing France’s first permanent museum dedicated to clothing to life, Chanel hopes to promote and support fashion.
The Palais Galliera is a museum dedicated to fashion, but its displays have always been temporary. When an exhibition ends, the museum stays closed.
The new Gabrielle Chanel rooms will open as a permanent gallery in 2019. Their construction will cost about 5.7 million euros, according to estimates. The rooms will be in the Palais Galliera’s basement and will span 7,211 square feet. Displays are to include fashion history starting in the 1700s and will run to current times.
Also in the construction plans are a bookstore and workshop. Aboveground, the museum will still present temporary exhibitions.
Currently, the Palais Galliera’s collection includes 200,000 items. Photographic and graphic art are among the collection as well as clothing and accessories.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo decided that the museum should have full-time exhibition space to help keep the city cemented as the fashion capital of the world, as well as provide a platform for its history. Hildalgo thanked Chanel for the fashion house’s support and for “proving once again that Paris is the home of fashion.” She said that the city is proud of the opportunity to provide the museum to people from around the world.
House of Chanel president Bruno Pavlovsky, in turn, announced that Chanel is “delighted” to sponsor the museum and promote the city. He also said that the sponsorship represents Chanel’s goal to promote fashion history and that the company’s business has Parisian creativity and strength at its heart.
