Museums are places of culture and learning, often filled with old statues and plaques of societies long forgotten. But museums are also places of art, innovation and even fashion. Many of the places on this list house collections detailing the history of fashion, as well as costumes, and even collections from famous designers. These places see fashion for what it truly is: an art form. Listed in no particular order, these museums make fantastic destinations for any fashion lover to visit.
- Victoria and Albert Museum: London, England
The Victoria and Albert Museum is considered one of the best art and design museums, with their mission being to “be recognized as the world’s leading museum of art, design, and performance.” In particular, their fashion collection spans 5,000 years of history and is the most comprehensive collection of fashion in the world. For those who are not fans of history, the museum does boast a strong collection of fashion from the 18th century onwards, including iconic pieces from the 20th century.
- Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising: Los Angeles, California
FIDM is a university in Los Angeles, but the museum is free and open to the public. Their website states that their vision is to “be the global resource for the study of fashion—past, present, and future.” Much of their collection focuses on haute couture, and two of their permanent collections include the Rudi Gernreich Archive and the Versace Menswear Archive.
- Fashion Museum: Bath, England
The Fashion Museum is found in the Bath Assembly Rooms and was formerly known as the Museum of Costume. As the Assembly Rooms are from the time of Jane Austen, dresses from the 18th and early 19th century are always on display in the museum. Aside from these pieces, the exhibitions in the museum are constantly changing, showcasing everything from older pieces to late 20th-century dresses. For those with children, the museum offers the family friendly feature of allowing kids to play dress-up with replica pieces.
- The Costume Gallery (Galleria del Costume): Florence, Italy
Focusing on pieces from the 18th century to present, the Costume Gallery has a collection including court and gala gowns from the belle epoque era, as well as the clothing of celebrities and famous designers such as Valentino, Versace, and Saint Laurent. The museum is also unique in that the mannequins on which the dresses are displayed feature body structures suiting the time period of the dress displayed.
- The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art: New York, New York
One of the most well-known museums of fashion, the Met is renowned for its unique exhibitions that change by season. Therefore, their extensive collection is not on view for the public. However, they do run a tour called ‘Fashion in Art’ that discusses costume throughout history, as well as an audio guide called ‘Costume: The Art of Dress.’ The Costume Institute’s current display, ‘Manus x Machina: Fashion in the Age of Technology’ focuses on the dichotomy between handmade haute couture pieces and machine-made garments.
