15 Must-See Museum Exhibits to Visit This Winter

The Brooklyn-based gallery “B” Dry Goods has launched an exhibition presenting a wide range of fashion arts, including original paintings and drawings by iconic names like Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld, and others. Along with original paintings, the gallery is showcasing textiles and garments that have significantly impacted the fashion world today. Some standouts include Marie Antoinette's traveling wardrobe trunk and an original Givenchy drawing of Audrey Hepburn's little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany's. 

Where: "B" Dry Goods, 679 Franklin Ave. Crown Heights, Brooklyn

When: January 25, 2024 - March 30, 2024

Pradasphere II is a free public exhibit that explores the heritage and history of the luxury fashion house, Prada, all the way from its beginnings in 1913 to the present day. The exhibit includes over 400 artifacts, curated by co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, and follows the impact of the house and its vision in the realms of luxury, beauty, and fashion. Staged in an industrial warehouse space adorned with velvet and silk, the exhibit invites guests to ponder the intersection of fashion and everyday life—including sports, entertainment, history, architecture, and art—and offers a new way of thinking about luxury. 

Where: Start Museum, Xuhui District, Shanghai 

When: December 7, 2023 - January 21, 2024

Women Dressing Women explores the creative legacy of female fashion designers from the Met's permanent collection within the Costume Institute, showcasing highly revered designers, new creative forces in the industry, as well as those forgotten by history. The exhibit will include designs by over 70 different womenswear designers, ranging from the early 20th century to today. Works by designers like Jeanne Lanvin, Elsa Schiaparelli, Isabel Toledo, Anne Lowe, Simone Rocha, and Rei Kawakubo will be featured in the archival collection, making this exhibit a must-see for those interested in the history of fashion. 

Where: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

When: December 7, 2023 - March 3, 2024

The Jewish Museum, located in New York City, offers a new look at the history of the revered French Maison Chloé, never before exhibited sketches and documents from the Chloé archive, and nearly 150 designs as part of the exhibition, providing an in-depth look at the house's 70-year history. Mood of the Moment: Gaby Aghion and the House of Chloé highlights Aghion's original vision of effortless, luxury fashion and her role as a leader in pioneering how women were perceived, altering the fashion industry at the time. The exhibition also follows subsequent creative directors, including Martine Sitbon, Karl Lagerfeld, Phoebe Philo, Clare Waight Keller, and Gabriela Hearst. 

Where: The Jewish Museum, New York City

When: October 13, 2023 - February 18, 2024

This exhibition, offered by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, offers a look at how the worlds of abstract art and fashion have intertwined throughout history, with an emphasis on woven textiles and craftsmanship. With over 150 works by artists across the globe, this comprehensive exhibition highlights the relationship between abstract art, modernism, and the fashion industry to show how these relations have altered the cultural political, and economic forces of the modern world we live in. 

Where: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles 

When: September 17, 2023 - January 21, 2024

This in-depth installation features 26 works by Andy Warhol, accompanied by expansive presentations of the artist's work. Included in the installation is Liz, [Early Colored Liz] (1963), a new acquisition for the museum, and a highly celebrated silkscreen work highlighting the beauty and tragedy of the prominent public figure, Elizabeth Taylor. The Broad is known for its remarkable dedication to the entire arc of artists' careers, making this exhibit a landmark destination for fans of the artist or this genre of art. 

Where: The Broad, Los Angeles

When: On view starting May 26, 2021. 

The exhibition Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses pays homage to the forward-thinking nature of the designer's work, and acknowledges the grace with which van Herpen embraces at once traditional couture craftsmanship and innovative techniques and ideas. The exhibition offers a display of over 100 haute couture pieces by Iris van Herpen in dialogue with works from contemporary artists, set up to create a fascinating, thought-provoking dialogue questioning the idea of the body in space and its relationship to clothing and the environment. 

Where: Musée des Artes Décoratifs, Paris

When: November 29, 2023 - 28 April, 2024

While Picasso is largely known for his painted works, this exhibition offers a new look at the artist's work, legacy, and inspirations. Picasso frequently represented important figures in his life on paper, and this exhibition sheds light on the lovers, family members, printers, dealers, and fellow artists who contributed to the celebrated artist's career behind the scenes. 

Where: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

When: November 11, 2023 - April 8, 2024.

This illuminating exhibition celebrates 36 contemporary women artists from Japan. With over 40 pieces spanning in origin from 1970 to today, this exhibition brings the often-overlooked contributions of women in the field of ceramics to the surface and focuses on the innovative and technically impressive compositions developed by these artists as a countermovement to the traditional, male-dominated space of ceramics in Japan. 

Where: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

When: December 16, 2023 - June 3, 2024

As the first UK exhibition of Gabrielle Chanel's work, this installation reflects on the French couture designer's life, the beginnings of Chanel as a house, and the evolution of Gabrielle Chanel's design style. Offering a look at over 200 looks by Chanel, this exhibition follows the course of the designer's lengthy career, from the very beginnings in a small Paris boutique, all the way to her final design in 1971. For those interested in fashion history and the many chic looks of Chanel, this art exhibit should be a destination to visit this winter. 

Where: Victoria and Albert Museum, London

When: Exhibition closes February 25, 2024

The Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech, whose mission is to safeguard and honor the legacy of the couturier, offers a permanent exhibit showcasing the designer's many works, as well as culturally relevant temporary exhibits. The permanent collection features a rotating collection from the museum's archives and offers an original interpretation of the designer's work concerning Marrakesh and Morocco. 

Where: Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech, Morrocco

When: Permanent display is always on exhibition 

Diane von Fürstenberg's emblematic wrap dress turns 50 this year, and to celebrate the monumental anniversary of an innovative style, the Museum of Fashion and Lace in Brussels has created an exhibition with over 50 models dedicated to the wide range of designs and styles attributed to the celebrated designer. 

Where: Museum of Fashion and Lace in Brussels, Belgium

When: April 21, 2023 - January 7, 2024

Salvatore Ferragamo, the prominent Italian designer known primarily for his shoe designs, opened his first store in Hollywood in 1923, spurring the Museo Ferragamo to offer a retrospective exhibition celebrating the designer, his works, and his legacy as they have impacted the fashion world. 

Where: Museo Ferragamo in Florence, Italy

When: October 27, 2023 - November 4, 2024

This exhibition presents a collection of photographs that explores the longstanding artistic partnership between designer Giorgio Armani and photographer Aldo Fallai. As a fashion photographer with an unconventional style, Fallai was able to faithfully capture Armani's artistic vision for his designs, expressing their true potential by playing with color, form, and composition in a way that elevated the atmosphere of the clothing. The exhibit is organized as a narrative pathway, allowing guests to experience the narrative journey of the photographs as they were captured. With over 250 photos spanning two floors of the space, visitors are guaranteed a complete look at the history of the revered house, its different fashion lines, and the collective aesthetic developed between the two artists. 

Where: Armani/Silos, Milan, Italy

When: December 5, 2023 - August 11, 2024