We are in the age of the fashion exhibition: recent years have seen a proliferation of the medium, with institutions across the world embracing the fashion industry’s pop cultural appeal to draw in visitors.
There have been recent blockbuster shows on the relationship between art and fashion (‘Costume Art’ at the Met, New York), the couturier Elsa Schiaparelli (‘Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art’ at the V&A), and a side-by-side of the radical designers Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo (‘Westwood Kawakubo’ at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne), as well as a slew of smaller displays in cities from Antwerp to Durham.
This golden age looks set to continue in late 2026 and into 2027: last week, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York announced the subject of its Spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition, best known for its opening act, the Met Gala. In May 2027, it will host the first major retrospective of John Galliano, while other openings around the world will explore the work of Azzedine Alaïa and Vivienne Westwood.
Elsewhere, there will be exhibitions on Burberry’s trench coat, the impact of the 1990s on fashion and art, curated by Edward Enninful, and a Bottega Veneta-sponsored exhibition on artistic patron Peggy Guggenheim.
Here, as selected by the Wallpaper* style editors, six standout fashion exhibitions to add to your calendar.
‘John Galliano: Horizons’ at the Met (May 9 2027–January 9, 2028)
‘Every Galliano collection begins as a journey among things separated by time, place, or medium: portrait and posture, silhouette and story, memory and material,’ says Bolton.
‘“Horizons” approaches fashion as a form of cartography, mapping not territories but affinities, tensions, and transformations. It traces how images become ideas, ideas become material, and material becomes emotion.
Yet a horizon reveals not only what lies before us, but also where we stand – the exhibition therefore considers both how Galliano has remapped the world through fashion and how his conduct, its consequences, and changing cultural values have reshaped our understanding of his work.’
‘The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon’ at the V&A (21 September 2026–3 January 2027)
Burberry men’s pink metallic silk trench coat (S/S 2013)
London’s V&A Museum has long been known for its blockbuster fashion displays: in recent years, subjects have included the houses of Dior, Chanel and Schiaparelli (the latter, ‘Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art’, remains on display until November 8, 2026).
This September, a new exhibition will look towards an altogether more British institution, Burberry, and its signature garment – the trench coat. Titled ‘The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon’ and taking place in the museum’s Prince Consort Gallery, it coincides with the brand’s 170th anniversary and will explore the garment, from its beginnings in the Boer War towards more recent iterations under creative directors including Christopher Bailey and Daniel Lee (we explored the garment’s history in our May 2026 design issue).
‘As we mark 170 years of the house, we are thrilled to partner with the V&A to celebrate the enduring legacy of the Burberry trench coat – a global design icon rooted in British craftsmanship and a symbol of innovation, creativity and timeless style,’ says Carly Eck, brand curator, Burberry. ‘A myriad of objects from the brand’s archive will be publicly exhibited for the first time – from early 20th-century catalogues to a Burberry trench coat worn by fashion designer Hardy Amies.’
