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The 7 BEST Paris Fashion Museums: Guide for 2024

ByNancy H.

Paris is one of the fashion capitals of the world, but what about fashion museums in Paris?

If you love fashion or history or elegance and beauty, these museums are a treat.

Paris is known for its amazing art, sculpture, literature, history, and film museums, but its fashion museums are also a part of what makes the culture of Paris so rich.

These fashion museums cover the iconic french designers Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Coco Chanel and more. They showcase the history of fashion, especially haute couture (high fashion), current and avant-garde style trends and less well-known designers like Azzedine Alaia (popular in the 1980s).

Many of the buildings themselves are beautiful and unique, especially the Dior Gallery with its winding staircase and stunningly beautiful displays.

One museum is devoted entirely to the fan! And we have included a map for your convenience.

👉 Tip: There is an excellent fashion walking tour in Paris for those wanting the inside scoop on designers’ lives, scandals and loves. See our Editor’s Choice walking tour below if interested.

7 Best Fashion Museums – Paris

EDITORS’S CHOICE

Fashion Stories Walking Tour

This juicy tour give your the inside history and scandals of top designers like Coco Chanel, Chistrian Dior and Louis Vuitton. Plus you learn the hottest places to shop in Paris right now from the expert guide.

Check Price and Book Here

Now on to our list of Paris fashion museums:

Best Fashion Museums in Paris

Exhibit of beautiful gold and silver gowns at the Dior Museum in Paris
Exhibit at the Dior Museum in Paris

We start our list with Gallerie Dior which the one to see if you have time for only one fashion museum. Don’t miss Dior!

1. Le Gallerie Dior

Inside the Chrsitian Dior fashion museum in Paris. Gladd walls have brighlty colord pieces of clothing and accessories with a winding staircase.
The famous winding staircase in the Dior Gallery in Paris.

Paris is famous for Haute Couture, and if you love high fashion, this is where you should be. From showcasing Dior’s Lucky Star to discovering the history of Dior & his successors’ contributions to the fashion world,  you’ll find yourself awe-struck here. 

The interior design of the gallery with its winding staircase is just breathtaking. This gallery is worth a trip for anyone who appreciates aesthetic and beauty, nevermind fashion!

The entire experience can be summed up as unique, interactive, and unforgettable. Get ready to discover the ateliers and the 30 Avenue Montaigne, where the Dior myth was born decades ago. 

2. Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris

Fashion exposition at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris - Elegant dresses with jackets in sophisticated fabrics draped on mannequins. From the GOLD exhibition.
GOLD exposition at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris. Photo credit: Arroser via Wikimedia Commons

The Yves Saint Laurent museum is located near Palais Galliera. It opened in 2017, almost 15 years after the YSL haute couture house closed. The museum stands at the site where Yves Saint Laurent made his extraordinary creations between 1974 and 2002.

For lovers of fashion, beauty and elegance and the history of fashion, this museum is a treat. The entrance is timed so it is never over crowded.

Walk through and you’ll find a fascinating timeline of his life with his designs, sketches, temporary exhibits, notes, etc.

3. The Palais Galliera – City of Paris Fashion Museum (MusĂ©e de la Mode de la Ville)

Exterior of the Palais Galliera - the City of Paris Fashion Museum in Paris -

The Palais Galliera is home to nearly 200,000 distinguished works of fashion, including clothing, drawings, photographs, haute couture collections, and accessories.  It houses fashion styles from the 18th century onward  and is the largest fashion museum in Paris.

The City of Paris fashion museum shows you the richest collections from the world of fashion.  Pieces were initially donated from European royalty and major fashion houses to start the collections, including YSL and Givenchy, who donated pieces worn by Audrey Hepburn.

The museum organizes multiple exhibitions on the premises and other places in France and abroad.  

4. Fondation Azzedine AlaĂŻa 

Grey elegant and simple dress on manequin by designer Azzadine Alaia of Paris.
Azzedine Alaia grey acetate dress from 1986-1987

You will love the vibes at Fondation Azzedine AlaĂŻa! This iconic Paris fashion museum celebrates the life of Azzedine AlaĂŻa, a Tunisian couturier and shoe designer. 

He immersed himself in fashion, design, architecture, theater, music, and art. This passionate collector finally decided to open this museum in 2007 with the help of painter Christoph von Weyhe and gallery owner Carla Sozzani.  

The museum stands right where Azzedine lived and worked. Inside, you will find an extensive exhibition gallery with a glass roof on the first and second floors.

The museum is more than just a place of exhibitions; it also supports educational and cultural activities in fashion schools and institutes.

5. The Cité de la Mode et du Design

Beautiful night photo of the Cite de la mode et du Design fashion museum in Paris. The long and green colored building winds along the Seine Riverand the lights reflect green and white into the water.
CitĂ© de la Mode et du Design museum of fashion along the Quai d’Austerlitz in Paris.

The Cité de la Mode et du Design is a happening place for contemporary fashion and design located on the banks of the Seine river. The exterior of the museum is marked in a striking green color.

If you want to glimpse the style scene in Paris, this is the place to be. 

The CitĂ© de la Mode ed du Design is the best fashion museum in Paris for trending fashion and hosts many fashion shows, workshops, and cutting-edge and creative exhibitions. 

6. The Fan Museum – Atelier Anne Hoguet Evantails

Interior of the Paris Fan Museum, the Musee de l'Evantail. A room with dark wood floors and glass cases with elegant fans. One of the museums dedicated to fashion in Paris.
Musée de l’Éventail, Paris 10e, France. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

This  Paris fashion museum is a stand out; as you might guess from the name, the collection is almost entirely devoted to fans. Yes, you heard it right!

The Atlelier Anne Hoguet Evantails (The Fan Museum) houses a historical collection of nearly 2,500 exquisite French fans, all housed in beautiful period rooms. Opened in 1993, the Fan Museum features workshops that date back to the 19th century. 

Anne Hoguet’s fan workshops are a real treat. They showcase the intricate craftsmanship of French fan mounts—a style first created by Joseph Hoguet Duroyaume in 1876. The mounts were decorated with mother-of-pearl and ivory, and the style was handed down across four generations.

Anne, a master craftsman, takes the family tradition forward by sharing her knowledge with the next generations in these workshops.

  • đź“ŤGoogle Maps Pin
  • Location: 2 Bd de Strasbourg, 75010 Paris
  • Entry Fees: Adults €6.50, reductions for kids and students.
  • Hours: Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. -12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Get Tickets In Advance Here!

7. Museum of Decorative Arts (Musée des Arts Décoratifs)

Interior of hte Museum o Decorative Arts in Paris - one of the fashion museums in Paris.

This Paris fashion museum was founded in 1882. Back then a few collectors started this museum where applied arts could be promoted and celebrated in the context of culture, design, and production.

The Museum of Decorative Arts opened in 1905 in a wing of the Louvre and is right next to the Jardin des Tuileries.

The Galerie Bijoux will amaze you with its 1,200 pieces of antique jewelry from medieval times. Apart from the extensive jewelry collection, the Museusm of Decorative Arts it known for its beautiful decoration in Rococo, Baroque, and Art Nouveau styles.  

It regularly organizes fashion and style-related exhibitions, showcasing the evolution of fashion through the different eras. 

  • đź“Ť Google Maps Pin
  • Location: 107 rue de Rivoli, the Rohan and Marsan wings of the Louvre
  • Entry Fees: (could not find)
  • Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended hours on Thursday.
  • Get Tickets In Advance Here!

MAP of the Fashion Museums in Paris

FAQ: Fasion Museums – Paris

What is the biggest fashion museum in Paris?

The Palais Galliera

Can you visit a fashion house in Paris?

Yes, here are five parisian fashion houses you can visit:  Christian Dior, Chanel, Lanvin, Hermès, Louis Vuitton

What is the very famous museum in Paris?

The most famous museum in Paris is the Louvre.

What is the fashion exhibition in Paris in 2024?

The most well known fashion exhibition in Paris is Paris fashion week, which takes places two times per year with exhibitions in many venues across the city

Final Thoughts: 7 Must-Visit Fashion Museums in Paris for Your Bucket List

These seven Paris fashion museums will take you deeply into the French fashion world and they do it with grace and elegance.

From the iconic designers like Christian Dior and Coco Chanel to revolutionary trends, they are bursting with style and history. You won’t want to miss out on this chic adventure through the heart of Parisian fashion via the fashion museums of Paris.

Enjoy!

Related Reading:

Top 5 Impressionist Museums in Paris – Monet to Renoir and More 

13 Best Small Museums in Paris for Art, History and Culture in 2024

Parisian Culture Guide: 23 Things To Know Before You Go 2024

Nancy H.

Nancy is the owner and creator of Travels On Point blog. She has been slow-traveling like a local for 30 years and now is a semi-retired digital nomad. Nancy speaks French fluently, is learning Russian and has some Italian and Spanish. She loves history, architecture, learning about cultures and people, dancing and gardening.