Fashion on the Move

This chronological exhibition, featuring some 200 works, traces the history of fashion from the 18th century to the present day through the museum’s collections, while also developing a transversal theme on the body in movement.

In resonance with the Olympic and Paralympic Games that are to be held in Paris in 2024, the Palais Galliera examines the part played by clothing in physical and sporting activities, its relationship to the body and to movement, and the social consequences of its development.

Garments designed for physical and sporting activities are presented alongside everyday clothing. This dialogue casts light on the idea of how sportswear became specialised, how women’s wear was adapted for physical activity at the end of the 19th century, the masculinisation of women’s clothing, and the adoption of sportswear as clothing for everyday life. The changing image of the body, particularly the athletic body, and the way it has been accentuated by clothing, is highlighted in order to show how the liberation of the body through physical activity has contributed to changing mentalities and beauty standards. Swimming costumes, cycling outfits, side-saddle habits, motoring coats and accessories, jogging suits, and sneakers all reflect the distinct silhouettes of three centuries of fashion history.

The museum has benefited from exceptional loans from the Musée national du Sport (Nice), the Bibliothèque Forney (Paris), Patrimoine CHANEL, the Emile Hermès Collection, Rykiel Creation, and Maison Yohji Yamamoto. These guest items add perspective to the Palais Galliera pieces, reflecting attitudes to physical exercise and sport through the ages, whether competitive or as a leisure activity.