Planning your cultural calendar for 2025? There are plenty of stylish fixtures happening across the globe over the next 12 months.
From the V&A’s Marie Antoinette to the Louvre’s first ever fashion display, we round up the best global fashion exhibitions in 2025 – in London, Paris, New York and beyond – each worth travelling for this year.
Marie Antoinette, V&A, London
The V&A will host multiple unmissable exhibitions this year, starring the UK’s debut showcase about Marie Antoinette. The often maligned and overlooked French queen influenced countless styles through her decorative and ostentatious way of dressing. A true style icon, Antoinette’s impact on fashion, film and the decorative arts will be explored through a mix of gowns and visual installations. The showcase is sponsored by Manolo Blahnik, who has long been inspired by the Baroque queen, so expect to see a host of eyewateringly beautiful shoes too. The V&A’s programme also includes an homage to the jewellery tour de force that is Cartier in March, and in June, Design and Disability will celebrate disability as an identity and culture, as it looks at its relationship with design, art, architecture, fashion, and photography.
Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, The Met, New York
Always a major moment in the fashion calendar, The Costume Institute’s 2025 exhibition will focus on the Black dandy, and how this aesthetic shaped Black identity in the Atlantic diaspora. Dandyism, historically defined as men who are extremely devoted to style and approach it as a discipline, first emerged in the 18th century and has changed the way men dress today. It’s the first Costume Institute exhibition since 2003’s ‘Men in Skirts‘ to focus exclusively on menswear, and will kick off with the star-studded Met Gala on 5 May.
Dress Codes, Kensington Palace, London
Never-seen-before looks from the historic royal wardrobe will go on show at Kensington Palace in March, featuring pieces worn by Princess Diana, Queen Victoria and Princess Margaret. The display will explore the codes of royal dressing, how these conventions have shaped what we wear, and the meaning behind some of the most recognisable looks.
Gianfranco Ferré: Within The Lens, Western Alps, Italy
Exhibition spaces don’t get more impressive than the Forte di Bard, a former 19th-century military fortress perched amid the rocky outcrop of the Western Alps in Italy. Adding to the draw is a showcase honouring the work of Italian design master Gianfranco Ferré, who was known for his elegant, structured silhouettes that were worn bye Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor among countless others. A mix of photos, archival looks and sketches tell the story of his artful design process.
Leigh Bowery! Tate Modern, London
Not strictly a fashion exhibition, but few could argue with Leigh Bowery’s impact on the industry. The artist’s boundary-pushing work saw him reimagine beauty and style as forms of sculpture and painting, inspiring Alexander McQueen, Lady Gaga and RuPaul. A fashion designer, club promoter and performance artist, Bowery experimented with appearance, sexuality and gender to extraordinary effect. His visionary costumes will be displayed alongside his collaborations with other artists including Nick Knight, Lucian Freud and Michael Clark. Don’t miss this one.
Louvre Couture: Art and Fashion - Statement Pieces, The Louvre, Paris
For the first time in its history, the Louvre will open an exhibition dedicated to fashion this year. Looking at the intersection between art and fashion, the showcase will spotlight tapestries and other decorative objets rather than clothing to illustrate how the museum’s masterpieces have influenced and inspired industry legends including Karl Lagerfeld, Madame Carven and Jacques Doucet.
The Face Magazine: The Culture Shift, The National Portrait Gallery, London
The Face helped launch the careers of Kate Moss, Alexander McQueen and Phoebe Philo, creating some of the most era-defining images of the 80s and 90s. The National Portrait Gallery will celebrate the magazine’s culture-shaping impact with a showcase of its pioneering images and photos. Featuring work from over 80 photographers, from Corinne Day to Sølve Sundsbø, The Face Magazine: The Culture Shift is an homage to creative freedom and fresh talent.
From the Hearts to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana, Grand Palais, Paris
Step inside the world of haute couture with Dolce & Gabbana’s new exhibition which delves into the making of its Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria, and Alta Gioielleria collections. Influenced by their combined Sicilian and Milanese heritages, Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce draw on references that honour storied cultural traditions, from the art of mosaics to colourful ceramics and ornate lacework. The works on show promise to inspire and delight in equal measure.
Textiles: The Art of Mankind, Fashion and Textile Museum, London
Find out about the power of textiles as a tool for communication in this forthcoming exhibition from the Fashion and Textile Museum. Told through themes spanning materials, identity, collaboration and sustainability, the display looks at how humanity has used textiles to record history, emotion and ideas. From wall-hangings to ceremonial bags, the works on show are a love letter to the skill and importance of this often overlooked medium.
Lead image: Gianfranco Ferré spring/summer 1992. Photograph by Steven Meisel
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