At the MAD, forty silhouettes tell the story of four decades in which clothing became a work of art.

Forty years, forty silhouettes. To celebrate its four decades, the MAD Museum of Fashion Arts brings together the finest pieces from its collection in a grand couture ball in the heart of the nave. From Madeleine Vionnet to Yves Saint Laurent, from Christian Dior to Comme des Garçons, these monumental silhouettes tell the story of four decades of exhibitions that have transformed clothing into a work of art. A fashion show that is accompanied by an irresistible glimpse behind the scenes of the museum and its crafts. Restoration workshops, technical specifications, embroidery samples, drawings, patterns, and model storage areas coexist with the finished silhouettes. We discover how a dress enters a national collection, and how it lives there. Fashion shows become artistic performances, fashion photographs works of art in their own right, and garments become true actors. Forty years of enriching, restoring, and passing on. Clothing enters the museum, and the museum becomes its living memory.

Did You Know?

A large part of the collection comes from the French Union of Costume Arts (UFAC), founded in 1948 by the couturiers themselves to preserve the heritage of fashion. When the Museum of Fashion Arts opened in 1986, the UFAC transferred its treasure, unique in France, to it.

MAD PARIS
From September 30, 2026 to April 4, 2027
107 rue de Rivoli, 75001
Metro: Palais-Royal (Lines 1/7)
Tue-Sun 11am-6pm, Thu until 9pm
Closed on Mon - Price: €18
Free for under 26s