Where fashion is collected, conserved and shown, and why museums now take it seriously.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 2 November 2026
What are the world’s most important fashion museums?
| Museum | City | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| The Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York | The annual spring exhibition and the Met Gala |
| Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) | London | One of the largest dress collections in the world |
| Palais Galliera | Paris | The City of Paris fashion museum |
| Musée des Arts Décoratifs | Paris | Major designer retrospectives |
| Musée Yves Saint Laurent | Paris and Marrakech | The designer’s own archive and studio |
| The Museum at FIT | New York | The Fashion Institute of Technology’s collection |
| Kyoto Costume Institute | Kyoto | Western dress history in Asia |
| Calico Museum of Textiles | Ahmedabad | One of the world’s great collections of Indian textiles |
Should fashion be in museums?
Most curators now say yes: clothing records history, identity and craft. Critics worry that exhibitions sponsored by fashion houses can become advertising. The best shows balance both.
Read on Ayerhs: Why Fashion Belongs in Museums (And Why Some Still Disagree) · How Fashion and Art Archive Identity and Culture · The great fashion exhibitions · What is the Met Gala?