Top 15 Fashion Museums You Should Visit

Want to know the top fashion museums to visit? Museums are places to discover, appreciate art and be inspired and what better way to do it than with paintings and sculptures when we are passionate about fashion with real clothes and outfits that are works of art-made clothes.

From historical suits from many years ago that make you transport yourself to what life was like at that time, to iconic designers such as Balenciaga or Dior who have marked the history of fashion with their creations.

Without a doubt, specialized fashion museums are a great dream to visit when we are traveling as designers or fashion lovers and what better way to do it than in the best places in the world, with the most unique collections and the most important names in the industry.

Below you will find a list of the best museums in the world that you cannot miss if you are passionate about fashion.

The 15 Fashion Museums You Should Visit

1. Fashion Institute of Technology – New York, United States

We start with one of the most important capitals of fashion, the Fashion Institute of Technology is without a doubt one of the must-see museums for any fashion lover and it is one of the few free museums in New York which makes it even better when you are traveling without much budget.  

Different exhibitions are presented in it, from high school students to unique pieces by designers such as Balenciaga and Chanel with more than 50,000 permanent pieces and different exhibitions in constant change, it is as can be expected in the streets of New York and part of those who attend this museum have looks to admire in themselves, this is definitely one of the best places to breathe and experience fashion.

2. Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) – New York, United States

This is undoubtedly a well-known setting for the important annual MET gala event, apart from this it is undoubtedly one of the best fashion museums with 35,000 costumes and accessories and more than 2 million items from different eras, representing the five continents from the 15th century to the present day is one of the best places to enrich your historical knowledge of fashion.

3.  Victoria & Albert Museum – London, UK

As is common in London and on the contrary very difficult to find in other countries, the best world-class museums in this city are free to enter. Another unmissable fashion capital and the Victoria & Albert museum does not disappoint, being one of the main museums for art and fashion lovers, it has a collection of more than 4 million objects and with one of the best fashion collections, clothing and textiles is an excellent place to understand how current fashion trends are present in many eras of the past, as well as incredible pieces by great designers who have created the fashion industry such as Elsa Schiaparelli and Paul Poiret.

4. Le Palais Galliera – Paris, France

Of course we cannot leave aside the fashion capital of the world, this incredible museum located in the Galliéra palace in the center of Paris, is one of the most recognized worldwide for fashion experts, with more than 70,000 pieces of clothing and the largest collection of dresses from the 18th century is a museum that you will love, it is incredible to analyze all kinds of periods in history, from dresses worn by Marie Antoinette herself to more current exhibitions with pieces by designers such as Dior and Chanel.

5. Christian Dior Museum and Garden – Granville, France

This museum house is located in the same place where the designer spent his early childhood years, the exhibition consists of iconic pieces by Christian Dior such as the “New Look” era and also other great names of this fashion house such as Yves Saint Laurent and John Gallieano. 

Visiting this museum will undoubtedly allow you to understand more about the beginnings of this sewing house and the unparalleled talent of the artist who is undoubtedly one of the greatest references in fashion today. 

6. Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent – ​​Paris, France and Marrakech, Morocco

This relatively new foundation, born from the personal and professional relationship between the designer Yves St Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé, began in 2002 with the aim of preserving the 20,000 haute couture pieces and more than 50,000 illustrations and drawings that have been created by the designer in his 40-year career until the opening date where he announced his retirement from the business. Apart from the artist’s creations, there are other exhibited pieces by contemporary artists who have been inspired by Yves Saint Laurent and his work.

7.  Mode Museum (MoMu) – Antwerp, Belgium

 The Belgian museum was born in 2002 from the great presence of designers Walter van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Marina Yee at the 1988 London Fashion week where they demonstrated that they could be a strong world power in the fashion industry and were called the six of Antwerp, which marked and made this city known for its talent. 

This museum is focused on the work of these six designers and has lately included pieces by current designers. This exhibition is constantly changing every six months, rotating the more than 30,000 pieces that they have. 

8. Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum – Tokyo, Japan

This museum created in 1923 representative of the Asian continent is a great celebration of cultural clothing throughout history in the world. The exhibition began with pieces from Japan, kimonos and attire from East and Southeast Asia received after the Second World War thanks to connections with military groups, which allowed them to form the great ethnic collection they manage and after 1990 open their doors to different regions of the world such as Europe, Africa and Latin America. 

This museum is connected to the Bunka Gakuen university which is dedicated to fashion education and research.

9. Ferragamo Museum – Florence, Italy

Dedicated to the designer, this is the museum for shoe lovers. Although his brand was born in Florence, its success began thanks to the appearance of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe in Hollywood with his designs, which made his work even more known. The museum shows the history of the firm as well as iconic designs such as the “cage heel” or cage heel.  

10. Gucci Museum – Florence, Italy

If we are already in Florence, of course you can’t miss visiting one of the biggest fashion houses in the world, today known for its famous bags and party dresses. With classics like the Bamboo bag and different contemporary pieces, you can appreciate much of the history of the brand. The museum also has exhibitions of art, painting and different disciplines that make the experience even more enriching.

11. Cristobal Balenciaga Museum – Getaria, Spain

This museum is located in the town where the designer was born, open since 2011 this museum shows 60 years of work by one of the most important designers in the history of contemporary fashion. You can see different pieces that have marked the fashion industry, as well as beautiful wedding and party dresses donated by its clients over time.

12. Museum of Bags (Tassenmuseum Hendrikje – Amsterdam, Holland

Now it’s time for you bag lovers, here we cover all aspects of fashion and nothing better than heading to the bag museum. This museum is dedicated to showing the history of bags, purses, wallets and all kinds of accessories in this category, located in the center of Amsterdam and with one of the best cafes in the city makes it a must-see, there you can find the history of this accessory from its beginnings and its importance in different civilizations to the present day. It has more than 5,000 pieces from the 16th century to the present.

13. Bata Shoe Museum – Toronto, Canada

As far as shoes are concerned, this museum knows all about it. Specializing in the cultural history of shoes, it features exhibits from different parts of the world and periods of history, from yucca sandals made by indigenous Native Americans to the well-known shoes worn by Chinese women that bent their feet and stunted growth, small feet being a social standard as the accepted aesthetic of the time. 

14. Musée des Arts Décoratifs – Paris, France

Located in the famous Louvre museum, although not well known by most visitors, this museum opened in 1905 has an impressive collection of arts, fashion and design, where there is an exclusive gallery for the fashion and fabrics section. It houses more than 150,000 pieces, including famous designers such as Madeleine Vionnet, Christian Lacroix and Christian Dior, who donated the prototype of his iconic “New Look” suit. 

This is a wonderful museum with a wealth of resources to inspire you, not only in fashion but also in all kinds of decorative arts. 

15. Simone Handbag Museum – Seoul, South Korea 

This museum famous for its bag-shaped exterior opened in 2012, coming from the Simone company known for making bags for famous brands like Tory Burch and Marc Jacobs. The exhibits in this museum are divided into two sections. 

Read Also: 8 Famous Designers Who Marked The History Of Fashion

On the one hand, there are the most contemporary designs from the 20th century to the present, mostly from the United States and on the other hand with designs dating from the 15th century, from Europe.