Oct 12th, 2016, 07:00 PM

Palais Galliera

By Elizabeth Nguyen Son
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
Can't attend fashion week? Here's your year-round alternative fashion fix.

What better way to immerse yourself into one of the world's "Big Four" fashion capitals than to visit a fashion museum in Paris? Everyone knows about the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Rodin, the Pompidou... The list of must-see museums in Paris is truly endless, but it was a pleasant surprise to be introduced to a unique and low-key museum. Slightly under the radar, very close to the well-known Palais de Tokyo and tucked away in a street corner, is a small but stunning Palais Galliera.


Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Now, something to take note of in regards to the Palais Galliera, is that all exhibitions are temporary! This should motivate you to get out and see what kind of exhibition is presently on display because it, unfortunately, will not be there forever. Furthermore, it keeps things going - there is always something new for you to see. You can never get bored of the museum, as the pieces inside are constantly changing. The museum is free for art history students and discounted for normal students.


Image credit: Collection Palais Galliera/Eric Poitevin

The most recent and current exhibition, Anatomie d'Une Collection, curated by Antoine Saillard, started on May 14, 2016, and will be on display until October 23, 2016. According to their press release, the show is very diverse: "Ranging from court wear to work overalls and from celebrities to unknowns, the exhibition draws on the Galliera collection for around a hundred garments and accessories illustrating fashion from the 18th century to the present day ... Anatomie d'Une Collection [is] a selection of garments with historical associations that reflects the essence of the collection and the complex task of attribution demanded by each of these heritage pieces."

Image credit: Collection Palais Galliera - © Eric Poitevin/ADAGP, Paris 2016

The museum will be coming out with a second exhibition in the same series, accordingly named "Anatomie d'Une Collection - 2ème partie" that will be on display from November 3, 2016 until February 12, 2017. The museum will thus be temporarily closed from October 24, 2016 until November 2, 2016 as they install the second part of the exhibition. Part of this second segment will be a tribute to Sonia Rykiel, a French fashion designer and writer, also known as the "Queen of Knits".


Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

According to Anne de Nesle, the Head of Communication at the Palais Galliera, this second part has been aimed as an homage to Sonia Rykiel, née Flis, after her recent passing at the age of 86 on August 25th, 2016 in Paris. The collection will, therefore, showcase pieces that she not only designed but also wore.


Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

If fashion exhibits aren't your kind of thing, fret not - the stunning building was commissioned by Marie Brignole-Sale, the Duchess of Galliera, and boasts a miniscule but peaceful garden with a few benches to sit and admire the view.

Palais Galliera
10, avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie
75116 Paris