Reflections on Fashion
What happens when you give Jan Taminiau and Lisa Konno access to the largest collection of fashion and costumes in the Netherlands? For Kunstmuseum Den Haag, 2026 marks a special milestone: the 75th anniversary of its fashion collection. In this large-scale fashion exhibition, the museum joins hands with a broad spectrum of co-curators to reflect on the rich, multifaceted and unexpectedly current collection of fashion and costumes over the years. Reflections on Fashion will showcase iconic designs from Iris van Herpen, Coco Chanel, Fong-Leng, Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Jan Taminiau, Viktor & Rolf, Frank Govers, Karim Adduchi and others. And by looking through the eyes of the co-curators, visitors will experience these designs in a new and surprising light.
From ‘worthless’ to visitor favourite
Reflections on Fashion offers a glimpse of the work that goes on behind the scenes at a fashion collection, from the restoration atelier to the storage depot. Among the highlights of the exhibition is a pale pink Chanel dress from 1926, made famous by a Dutch TV programme, Secrets of the museum. The dress was an unexpected find hidden in a collection of fabric scraps, a discovery that met with great amazement. Following extensive in-house restoration, this object became a favourite of online visitors and will now be displayed for the first time.
Reflections on Fashion brings this kind of process to life, offers a fresh perspective on highlights from the collection and shows viewers what goes on behind the scenes. An ‘open depot’ in the gallery and the opportunity to observe restorations up close and personal – like a real ‘dress detective’ – make the reconstruction process tangible. For the open depot, Tess van Zalinge has selected collection pieces from the 18th, 19th and 20th century which visitors can examine inside and out – from crinolines and corsets to the hidden interior of a gown.
Living collection
From 17th-century statement pieces to recent creations fresh off the catwalk, Kunstmuseum’s fashion collection shows how fashion continues to evolve and how garments can tell stories about identity, craftsmanship and the era in which they were worn. What started out as the Dutch Costume Museum (Nederlands Kostuummuseum) in 1951, has, over the past 75 years, grown into the largest fashion and costume collection on the Netherlands, with over 50,000 costumes and accessories. The collection lives on; it continues to inspire and is embraced anew by each successive generation. And this is precisely what was written in the 1950s, when the collection stated its desire to be ‘a living institution’ that ‘mingles in the life of society’. Reflections on Fashion demonstrates exactly that.
‘For 75 years, so many people have put so much love into working on this collection: gathering, restoring and displaying it and telling its stories. Their efforts have been based on a variety of visions, modes and perspectives, with the collection itself as constant factor. Through this exhibition and weighty catalogue, we hope to honour the work of all the makers, donors and colleagues who have put their heart and soul into working on the collection. There has been real positive energy in the collaboration with all our enthusiastic co-curators. Another unusual aspect was that we asked them what they felt the collection was missing – and we are now doing our best to fill those gaps. All together, this is evidence that our fashion collection is beloved by many and that it continues to inspire and offer new perspectives, generation after generation. I’m quite proud of that.’ – Madelief Hohé, fashion and costume curator
‘Reflections on Fashion both looks back and takes an optimistic view of the future. Co-creations, never-before-displayed objects and new additions to the collection ensure plenty of surprises. It is a feast for the eye, and more importantly, a feast of fashion and remarkable stories. An ode to 75 years of fashion history and to the inspiration that fashion can offer us.’ – Margriet Schavemaker, General Director