Fashion Museums You Need To Visit Once In Your Lifetime

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If you are obsessed with YSL creations or if shoes attract you, drop the idea of doing window-shopping. Because there is something much more exciting and jaw-dropping- – a travel itinerary that includes a visit to the fashion capitals of the world and especially to the fashion museums.

Did you fall off your chair just hearing about this suggestion?

Actually, it’s a brilliant idea for fashion lovers, freaks, even fashion designers (the new or the upcoming or even the established ones) who want to enhance their knowledge about famous fashion museums.

List of Top Fashion Museums In The World

Here are some fascinating and inspirational places to visit if you love all things fashion.

1. Christian Dior Museum and Garden – Granville, France:

Have any idea what was Christian Dior’s childhood home all about? It was a villa atop a cliff on the outskirts of Granville, France. This came up as one of the best fashion museums in 1988. What you see here is not just CD’s creations but also pieces from notable designers, such as Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), Marc Bohan, and John Galliano.

2. Ferragamo Museo – Florence, Italy:

Dedicated to Salvatore Ferragamo, the inventor of the wedge and the cage heel, this is one of the most popular fashion museums must see that opened in 1995.
Want some juice on it (can’t be called gossip)?

Although the shoe designer Ferragamo got recognition in Florence, much of his earlier success he attributed to the Hollywood starlets across the pond, who loved his creations.

Do you want an example?

The legendary Marilyn Monroe, who was the subject of one of his temporary exhibits.

3. Museum At FIT – New York City:

New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology boasts of being the alma mater of fashion icons like Nanette Lepore, Reem Acra, and Sigerson Morrison. This is one of the few top fashion museums in New York City that has no entry fee. The rotating exhibits show you one-of-a-kind pieces from reputed designers like Chanel, Halston, Alaia, and Balenciaga.

One more interesting thing to note is this – since New York is the style capital of America, the crowd at the premier institute is as beautifully dressed as the mannequins!

4. Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves St Laurent-Paris:

It all started in 2002 when St Laurent announced his retirement. His goal was to “conserve the 5,000 Haute Couture garments and 15,000 Haute Couture accessories as well as more than 50,000 drawings and assorted objects that bear witness to 40 years of Yves Saint Laurent’s creativity.”

Over here, you will find many work exhibits of YSL, as also those of other contemporary artists who got inspired by St Laurent and his life.

6. Gucci Museum – Florence:

The city of Florence might be famous for its awesome Renaissance art but when the Gucci Museum came up in 2011 in Florence, it showed creations of a more modern era.

The Guccio Gucci label started in 1921 and today its handbags and couture gowns feature alongside art exhibits.

7. Museum of Bags & Purses (Tassenmuseum Hendrikje)—Amsterdam:

A purse can go beyond a purse. And one of the most famous fashion museums the Tassenmuseum at Amsterdam proves it where purses go-ahead to become historical artifacts. The handbag collection out here has pieces dating back to the 16th century. The museum has one of the best gift shops in the city, and its tea-room is one of Amsterdam’s finest.

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Yes, it also has celebrity culture inspired bags named after celebs like Grace Kelly.

8. Victoria and Albert Museum—London:

This is of the best fashion museums in the world and it is famous for its art-and-design display. Some of the products exhibited here cover Indian textiles, obscure musical instruments, and painful footwear. The fashion section has a collection of men’s and women’s clothes from over a 400-year span. And since this is in Britain, it has a big collection of hats. And for penny wise, this museum is totally free to visit (except for special exhibits).

9. ModeMuseum(MoMu) – Antwerp, Belgium:

This is one of the recent and famous fashion museums that opened in Antwerp in 2002 focusing on the “Antwerp Six” – Walter van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Marina Yee – all of whom made a tremendous mark in the fashion industry.

10. Balenciaga Museum – Getaria, Spain:

This is one of the few fashion museums that is dedicated to a particular designer. Bearing Cristóbol Balenciaga’s name the museum opened in 2011, in the city where the designer was born. You will see his iconic sack dresses and balloon jackets, and other creations from his six-decade-old career in the mid-20th century.

11. Palazzo Fortuny – Venice:

In the early 20th century, Fortuny became renowned in the high-fashion world for his finely pleated gowns worn by many glam women. And this includes Mrs. Condé Nast herself. Since 1956, this famous fashion museum has been housed in Fortuny’s Venetian palazzo.

12. Bata Shoe Museum – Toronto:

This is one of the top fashion museums in the world that takes you through the cultural history of footwear. The rotating exhibits cover many countries and time periods. Some memorable exhibits include – slippers worn by Chinese women with bound feet.

13. Fashion Museum – Bath, England:

Doris Langley Moore of Britain was a fashion historian whose personal collection of men’s and women’s clothes became the basis of the Costume Museum, which later on was called the Fashion Museum in Bath. The 165 mannequins on display take you down the fashion corridor of history until the 17th century. The museum boasts of a display of creations from the collections of celebrated designers like Mary Quant to the contemporary ones like Alexander McQueen.

14. Simone Handbag Museum–Seoul, South Korea:

The Marc Jacobs and Tory Burch handbags are produced by none other than the Simone Company. The museum which opened in 2012 displays exhibits from as far back as the 15th century.

That sums up our list of some of the most famous fashion museums in the world.

Watch this video to know more about them.

So which of these fashion museums must see tops your travel list? Tell us in the comments box.