The big fashion exhibitions in 2026

After a full year of exhibitions in which curators did their best to capture the turbulence of our time, in 2026 they seem to be returning to classics. The focus is on greats like Schiaparelli, Alaïa and Queen Elizabeth II. Many people know them and will want to know more about them. This is a nice starting point, because anyone who visits many museums knows that by looking slowly and carefully you always learn something new.

Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art

London’s Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) begins the new year with Elsa Schiaparelli, the couturier who fused fashion and absurd art. The exhibition shows how she elevated couture into something theatrical in the elegant 1930s – from her famous “Lobster Dress” to the series of hats inspired by her creative partnership with the painter Salvador Dalí. The fashion curators have the task of bringing out the lesser-known pieces from the archives. In this case, it’s the perfume bottles that look like art objects, as well as original drawings from Schiaparelli’s studio. The timing of revisiting this now is also right: Daniel Roseberry, Schiaparelli’s new creative director, recently presented a collection based on the fashion house’s heritage.

Where and when: V&A South Kensington, London, March 28 to November 1, 2026.

Alaïa: L’art de la ligne

Azzedine Alaïa was known as “the king of silhouettes”. That prompted the curators of his foundation in Paris, which is open to the public all year round, to search the collections again for examples of his sculptural approach. You’ll soon be able to admire his body-con dresses and tight leather creations there. These once became famous on the bodies of icons like Iman, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Bruna. His early prototypes can also be seen. They make it even easier to see how he constantly perfected the female form. Interesting detail: Alaïa refused to participate in fashion weeks for a long time because he believed that fashion needed time to breathe. His designs were intended as works of art – and that’s how we still view them years later.

Where and when: Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, Paris, December 15, 2025 to May 24, 2026.

The Antwerp Six

Antwerp gained worldwide fame in the 1980s thanks to six young designers who shook up the fashion world with their experimental designs. Now there is an exhibition in which you can see them side by side: as an avant-garde fashion movement in which each demonstrated their own genius: Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee, who unfortunately died shortly before she was honored. The Antwerp Six all started at the same academy, but their breakthrough together was a coincidence. What about Antwerp as a hotbed that has once again produced an above-average generation of up-and-coming talent?

Where and when: ModeMuseum (MoMu), Antwerp, March 28, 2026 to January 17, 2027.

Embroidering Palestine

Embroideries have been telling stories about their makers, their craft, their place and the spirit of the times for tens of thousands of years. This will be shown in an exhibition at the ModeMuseum Antwerp that focuses on Palestinian embroidery. The selection was determined by the current war events. In the exhibition we see how Palestinian artisans have processed their identity, history and emotions into textiles and continue to process them today. From traditional costume to contemporary interpretations, every piece tells a story. Textile as silent resistance in a brutal time.

Where and when: ModeMuseum (MoMu), Antwerp, December 13, 2025 to June 7, 2026.

State Fashion Biennale 2026

The Arnhem Fashion Biennale is usually not about the most beautiful clothes, but rather about the question of what fashion does today – ecologically, socially and culturally. In 2026, the focus will be on materials and responsibility with “Available to Promise; Hidden Systems, Shared Futures”. From textile innovations that mimic biological cycles to designs that appear deliberately unfinished or temporary. The art on display is not the solution to the entire fashion system, but it does suggest a new model of thinking. Topics such as work, identity and exhaustion should be discussed. A challenge for Anne Zhou, Shanu Walpita and Anouchka van Driel, the curators of this fourth edition.

Where and when: Various locations in Arnhem, May 14th to June 28th, 2026.

Costume Art

With “Costume Art,” The Costume Institute brings fashion from the basement to the heart of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The spring 2026 exhibition opens the new, 1,100-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries right next to the Great Hall. The exhibition examines how the clothed body has been represented throughout art history. Garments from the Costume Institute’s collection by the likes of Alexander McQueen, Cristóbal Balenciaga and Iris van Herpen are combined with other works of art from the Met’s collection. This suddenly makes the somewhat mysterious relationship between fashion and the body crystal clear. Important side note: The Bezos couple covered the costs.

Where and when: The Met, New York, May 10, 2026 to January 2027.

Westwood/Kawakubo: Icons of Rebellion

What happens when you put two rebellious fashion designers next to each other? In Melbourne, curators Katie Somerville, Danielle Whitfield and Charlotte Boticavan from the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) decided to give Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo a try. The former turned 1970s conventions on their head with their designs featuring tartan patterns, safety pins and provocative slogans. Kawakubo was primarily concerned with form. Using asymmetrical silhouettes and deconstruction, she challenged traditional ideas about the body and clothing. In addition to these pieces, which are once again important for fashion history, the audience can also see sketches and prototypes.

Where and when: National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Melbourne, December 7, 2025 to April 19, 2026.

Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style

Buckingham Palace opens its doors to a unique – and largest yet – look into the wardrobe of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch: Queen Elizabeth II. More than 200 items of clothing, accessories and design sketches are on display. There are also explanations of the key moments at which they were worn. From the Harris tweed jacket with Balmoral tartan skirt designed by Norman Hartnell in the 1950s to Angela Kelly’s green coat worn by the Queen for official portraits in her final years. The exhibition shows how the monarch used fashion to convey a message. Everything from the type of gemstone to the color of the fabric lends itself to a subtle political signal.

Where and when: The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London, April 10 to October 18, 2026.