Top 10 Fashion Museums: From Met's Costume Institute to Marrakech's YSL
TheCollector has published a new list featuring ten prominent fashion museums. Among these, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York stands out, boasting a collection of over 33,000 costumes and gaining recognition since Alexander McQueen's 'Savage Beauty' exhibition in 2011. Its next exhibition, titled 'Costume Art,' is set to launch on May 10, 2026. In Paris, the Palais Galliera showcases approximately 200,000 pieces, while London's Victoria and Albert Museum holds the largest dress collection, with its Fashion Gallery temporarily closed until autumn 2028. The Museum at FIT in New York, led by Valerie Steele, contains over 50,000 garments. Other noteworthy institutions include the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa, MoMu, Kyoto Costume Institute, Bata Shoe Museum, Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech, and the Fashion and Textile Museum in London.
Key facts
- The Costume Institute at the Met has over 33,000 costumes and accessories spanning seven centuries.
- The Met's upcoming exhibition 'Costume Art' opens May 10, 2026, in the new Condé Nast Galleries.
- Palais Galliera in Paris holds around 200,000 garments, accessories, photographs, and graphic works.
- The V&A's Fashion Gallery is closed for transformation until autumn 2028.
- The Museum at FIT is New York's only museum dedicated entirely to fashion, with over 50,000 garments.
- Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa opened in 2011 and is one of the world's first museums dedicated to a single couturier.
- MoMu in Antwerp holds the world's largest collection of contemporary Belgian fashion, totaling over 38,000 items.
- The Kyoto Costume Institute was founded in 1978 with support from Wacoal and has over 13,000 Western garments.
- The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto has nearly 15,000 exhibits, from ancient Egyptian sandals to Madonna's pumps.
- Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech opened in 2017 and is housed in a building by Studio KO.
- The Fashion and Textile Museum in London was founded by Zandra Rhodes in 2003.
- Most fashion museums keep light levels low and restrict photography to protect fabrics.
Entities
Artists
- Alexander McQueen
- Vivienne Westwood
- Rei Kawakubo
- Cristóbal Balenciaga
- Coco Chanel
- Ann Demeulemeester
- Dries Van Noten
- Martin Margiela
- Walter Van Beirendonck
- Yves Saint Laurent
- Pierre Bergé
- Zandra Rhodes
- Mary Quant
- Valerie Steele
- Raymond Moriyama
- Jean-Pierre Dalbéra
- Livy Adjei
Institutions
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Costume Institute
- Anna Wintour Costume Center
- Condé Nast Galleries
- Palais Galliera
- Gabrielle Chanel Galleries
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- V&A East Storehouse
- Museum at FIT
- Fashion Institute of Technology
- Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa
- Aldamar Palace
- MoMu
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
- Kyoto Costume Institute
- Wacoal
- Comme des Garçons
- Bata Shoe Museum
- Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech
- Jardin Majorelle
- Studio KO
- Fashion and Textile Museum
- Galerie Dior
- TheCollector
Locations
- New York
- USA
- Paris
- France
- London
- UK
- Getaria
- Spain
- Antwerp
- Belgium
- Kyoto
- Japan
- Toronto
- Canada
- Marrakech
- Morocco
- Bermondsey Street
- South Kensington
- 16th arrondissement