13 Fashion Exhibitions Worth Travelling For In 2026
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3 weeks ago
The global showcases to add to your calendar
The first rule of organising a trip to far-flung cities? Plan ahead. City breaks are ripe for all kinds of cultural explorations – but if you want the hottest ticket in town, you’ll want to pay a visit to the fashion exhibitions now lining the world’s biggest galleries and museums. Lucky for you, we’ve put together a calendar of the top shows to see this year, from The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring exhibition to the Queen Elizabeth II retrospective at Buckingham Palace.
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Global Fashion Exhibitions To See In 2026 & 2027
Exhibition view of Christian Dior. Memories Of Childhood at The Christian Dior Museum, Granville
Christian Dior. Memories Of Childhood at The Christian Dior Museum, Granville
At the Christian Dior Museum’s latest exhibition, visitors will be able to explore the life of one of fashion’s most enduring names like never before. Christian Dior. Memories Of Childhood will delve into the couturier’s early years, starting from his family home in Granville – which, with its scenic sea views, provided plenty of inspiration for his later work. Coinciding with the Maison’s 80th anniversary, the museum retraces Dior’s childhood in the early 20th century to see how some of his earliest memories shaped his creative universe, aided by 250 archival pieces spanning dresses, perfumes, photographes and accessories.
When: 4 April – 1 November 2026
Where: The Christian Dior Museum, 1 Rue d’Estouteville, 50400 Granville, France
Book It: Museum tickets are €10 | musee-dior-granville.com
Installation view from The Bowes Museum
Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary at The Bowes Museum, Durham
One of Britain’s biggest (and most provocative) fashion designers takes centre stage at the Bowes Museum this spring/summer, with an exhibition dedicated to industry disruptor Vivienne Westwood. Spanning the early 1980s to 2000s, Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary charts the designer’s professional journey through eras of rebellion, runway couture and historical reinvention. This is an exhibition not to be missed of you’re a fan of the original queen of punk.
When: 28 March – 6 September 2026
Where: The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham DL12 8NP
Book It: Entry free with admission (day tickets are £20) | thebowesmuseum.org.uk
Details from Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at the V&A (photo by the Victoria & Albert Museum)
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at V&A South Kensington, London
The V&A is renowned for its fashion exhibitions – with recent shows spanning everything from Chanel and Dior to Alexander McQueen – and this year, it dives into new territory. Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art is the first UK exhibition dedicated entirely to the fashion house – as well as the designer who started its legacy: Elsa Schiaparelli. And with over 200 objects spanning clothing, jewellery and art on display, it’s practically a treasure trove of design inspiration for fashion fans. You can find out more about what to expect here, and read all about the curators’ highlights here.
When: 28 March – 1 November 2026
Where: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Tickets: Weekday tickets from £28 and weekend tickets from £30 (members go free) | vam.ac.uk
Ann Demeulemeester in The Antwerp Six
at MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp, 2026 © MoMu Antwerp (photo by Stany Dederen)
The Antwerp Six at The Fashion Museum Antwerp (MoMu), Antwerp
While many will be familiar with the fashion circles of London and New York City, few will know a great deal about the Antwerp Six. The design collective is made up of six fashion designers who trained at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the early 1980s – and made their international debut together at the 1986 British Designer Show in London. Their work, which quickly captured the style set’s intrigue and put their home city on the global fashion map, is the subject of a landmark exhibition at The Fashion Museum Antwerp.
When: 28 March 2026 – 17 January 2027
Where: The Fashion Museum Antwerp (MoMu), Nationalestraat 28, 2000 Antwerp
Book It: Tickets are €13 | momu.be
Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 1999 © Robert Fairer Archive (courtesy of the V&A)
Catwalk: The Art Of The Fashion Show at V&A Dundee, Dundee
London isn’t the only V&A outpost that can pack in a global audience. Up in Scotland, V&A Dundee celebrates over 100 years of runway history with Catwalk: The Art Of The Fashion Show. Drawing on examples from world-renowned names like Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Dior, Maison Margiela, Vivienne Westwood, Mary Quant, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Charles Jeffrey, the exhibition traces the dramatic evolution of the catwalk from private salon to livestreamed runway.
When: 3 April 2026 – 17 January 2027
Where: V&A Dundee, 1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee DD1 4EZ
Book It: Tickets from £7 | vam.ac.uk
Queen Elizabeth II on Princess Margaret’s Wedding Day, Cecil Beaton, 1960 (c) Cecil Beaton, Victoria and Albert Museum
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at The King’s Gallery, London
If there’s one thing we’ll always remember about Queen Elizabeth II, it will be her fashion. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch was always something of a trendsetter – in every decade of her life – and now her fashion is being celebrated in a landmark exhibition at The King’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace. The show will display a huge selection from her vibrant wardrobe, including the colourful suits, silk headscarves and tartan coats – and yes, that iconic black handbag – that made the Queen so recognisable. You can find out more about what to expect here, and read all about the curator’s highlights here.
When: 10 April 2026 – 18 April 2027
Where: The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA
Tickets: Tickets are £22 | rct.uk
Exhibition view of Costume Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Costume Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
You can always count on the Met’s spring exhibition to lure in fashion fans from across the globe. Tying in with this year’s Met Gala, Costume Art dives into the intricacies of the clothed body – pairing garments and artworks from the Costume Institute’s vast collection to explore connections and experiences. Focusing on Western art from prehistory to the present, pairings will be organised into a series of thematic body types – ‘Naked Body’, ‘Classical Body’, ‘Pregnant Body’, ‘Aging Body’, ‘Anatomical Body’ and ‘Mortal Body’ – that illustrate the relationship between clothing and body.
When: 10 May 2026 – 10 January 2027
Where: The Met Fifth Avenue, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028
Book It: Entry free with admission (General Admission is $30) | metmuseum.org
Exhibition view of Cartier at The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Melbourne
Cartier at The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Melbourne
Did you miss out on the V&A’s major Cartier exhibition last year? Whether it was a matter of distance or timing, now’s your chance to see it once more – this time in Melbourne. The National Gallery of Victoria is running a fresh iteration of the show, bringing its 300-strong collection of precious jewels, gemstones, watches and clocks to the city for the first time. For an idea of what to expect, see our guide from the show’s London outing here.
When: 12 June – 4 October 2026
Where: NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Book It: Tickets are $43 | ngv.vic.gov.au
Exhibition view of Fashioning Chinese Women_ Empire To Modernity at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles
Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire To Modernity at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles
If you ever needed a sign to visit LA this summer, this is it. LACMA is hosting a major exhibition spanning over 100 years of Chinese fashion, charting how sartorial codes have changed in the country from the 20th to the 21st century. Spotlighting late Qing Dynasty robes, 1930s qipaos and 1960s chongsams, alongside meticulously handcrafted textiles – totalling 70 ensembles from Shanghai, Hong Kong and America, displayed on mannequins customised by fashion designer Jason Wu – Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire To Modernity explores how Chinese and Chinese American women have continued to express themselves through dress during monumental times of change.
When: 14 June – 12 October 2026
Where: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Book It: Entry free with admission (General Admission is $30) | lacma.org
Jade Anouka for the Royal Exchange Theatre (photography by Lucy Ridges)
Mythic Reinventions: An Exhibition Celebrating 50 Years Of Costume And Craft at Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre will be hosting a series of events this autumn that explore its vivid history across multiple mediums – including the free exhibition, Mythic Reinventions, which puts the theatre’s extraordinary costume archive in the spotlight. With pieces worn by the likes of Dame Helen Mirren, Don Warrington, Andrew Garfield, Sir Tom Courtenay, Maxine Peake and Suranne Jones, the exhibition will feature pieces from past productions and provide an exclusive insight into the inner workings of the theatre’s costume department from the artists who created some of the Exchange’s most iconic shows.
When: 16 September – 15 November 2026
Where: Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester M2 7DH
Book It: Free entry | royalexchange.co.uk
Burberry photoshoot for Great British Brands 2026
The Burberry Trench: Crafting An Icon at The V&A South Kensington, London
The Burberry takeover of the V&A continues. The Burberry Trench: Crafting An Icon will offer a snapshot of the history of the great British brand, told through its signature trench coat. And while not a full exhibition – the V&A has dubbed it a ‘display’ – it’s already flagged as one of the museum’s must-see attractions, with a myriad of items from the V&A collection and the Burberry Archive set to go on display. Think clothing (including a fair few trench coats), accessories, sketches and more.
When: 21 September 2026 – 3 January 2027
Where: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Book It: Free entry | vam.ac.uk
Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery (Photo by Jo Metson Scott, courtesy of V&A)
Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery at V&A Dundee
Another Vivienne Westwood showcase for your list: coming to the V&A’s Dundee outpost in spring 2027, Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery takes a deep dive into the brand’s jewellery archives. Spanning four decades of design, the exhibition will explore the late designer’s flair for balancing historical references and modern rebellion through jewellery – with special archive and runway jewellery displayed together as a collection for the first time – backdropped by graphic wall collages, Vivienne Westwood garments, and catwalk and behind-the-scenes videos.
When: 26 March 2027 – 1 January 208
Where: V&A Dundee, 1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee DD1 4EZ
Book It: Tickets go on sale in early 2027 | vam.ac.uk
Dior by John Galliano Haute Couture fashion show for A/W 2009/10 (Pascal Le Segretain, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
John Galliano: Horizons at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
The theme of the Met’s hotly anticipate 2027 spring exhibition is here – and it’s already causing quite the stir, thanks to its subject matter. John Galliano: Horizons will mark the first major museum show to examine the career of the designer, from humble beginnings as a Central Saint Martins graduate and formative collections under his own label, to appointments at major fashion houses Givenchy and Christian Dior and recent tenure at Maison Margiela. Alongside this, the exhibition also promises to address the designer’s very public fall from grace in 2010, which led to his dismissal from Dior and his own label. Here’s why the Met’s latest exhibition theme is proving so controversial.
When: 9 May 2027 – 9 January 2028
Where: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10028 (Gallery 099)
Book It: Entry free with admission (General Admission is $30) | metmuseum.org
