7 exhibitions on fashion not to miss in 2017!

2017 is only a month old, and it already looks like it will be very interesting, both when it comes to the arts (remember our post on art exhibitions?) as well as when it comes to fashion. And we are not only talking about shows or collections here, but about fashion-related exhibitions in some of the best museums in the world. From Europe to the US, it will be a year packed with interesting events. Here is our list of the 7 ones you shouldn’t miss.

Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion
Where: Victoria and Albert Museum, London
When: May 27, 2017 – February 18, 2018
You have an entire year to go see this exhibition, dedicated to the story of the great Spanish fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga. Don’t miss your chance, and join in the celebrations of the first 100 years of this successful maison, admiring over 100 items, including clothing and headwear.

Diana: Her Fashion Story
Where: Kensington Palace, London
When: Starting Febraury 24, 2017
This is another anniversary, and a very important one not only for the UK, but for the entire world. 2017 will mark 20 years since Diana left us, and this exhibition will be a testimony of the princess’s greatness as a style icon for all. The exhibition will include historical images, dresses that Diana wore at official events, and a selection of her favorite flowers, specially curated for this occasion by her trusted gardener, Sean Harking. This, and more, is what you will find in the magical garden of Kensington Palace. We can already tell it will be Lady D.’s spring.

The House of Dior: Seventy years of Haute Couture
Where: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
When: August 27 – November 17, 2017
The undisputed symbol of French elegance will tell the 70-year-long story of its very own Haute Couture, in a chronological sequence made of the stories of designers that headed the maison, starting from Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, on to Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, to get to today’s new creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. Australia feels very far away, at least for us, but you will have time until November to book your ticket!

Yves Saint Laurent: not an exhibition but two new museums dedicated to this top designer
Where: Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris e Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech
When: starting in Fall 2017
To celebrate Saint Laurent’s creativity, one exhibition just wouldn’t cut it: you’d need a museum. Actually, you will need two: one in Paris, and one in Marrakech, two cities of utmost importance for this great designer’s work. The two locations will house collections of unprecedented importance in the world of Haute Couture. 5000 high fashion dresses, 15000 accessories, and thousands of sketches, cards, photos and objects that were archived from the 1960s until today.

Manolo Blahnik “The art of shoes”
Where: Palazzo Morando, Milan
When: January 26 – April 9, 2017
The king of stilettos will take center-stage in Milan with a truly unique exhibition: 212 shoe designs, and 80 of his sketches from his career that spans over 40 years. The exhibition is an open-hearted homage to all women, with a special dedication to two figures that left a lasting mark in Italy and in the world: Franca Sozzani and Anna Piaggi.

The World of Anna Sui
Where: Fashion and Textile Museum, London
When: dal 26 maggio all’1 ottobre 2017
The designer, of Asian heritage but born in Detroit, is the first American to have her very own solo show in the UK, celebrating her eclectic creativity, which pushed her not to constrain her inventiveness to only clothing and accessories, but to also produce fabrics, home decor, and a beauty line.

Items: Is Fashion Modern?
Where: MoMA, New York
When: October 1, 2017 – January 28, 2018
Probably one of 2017’s most interesting exhibitions, it begs the question, how much can a clothing item or an accessory, in this specific case a basic one, influence a certain time in history? Plain white tees, the black sheath dress, Levi’s 501 are examples of the items examined in the exhibition. The MoMA collected 99 of these objects that “had a significant impact on 20th and 21st century history and society, and that are still modern nowadays.” Fun fact: the title of this exhibition is inspired by the question that was also the title of a similar show in this very museum, the MoMA New York, in 1944: “Are Clothes Modern?”