Fashion exhibitions that already have us booking trips for 2026

Although fashion weeks are considered some of the most exciting events in the fashion industry, in reality most of us follow the shows through screens rather than experiencing them in person. This is where fashion exhibitions come into play as the most democratic of all fashion events, opening the doors of an exclusive world to everyone and offering an insider’s view of all that the industry has to offer. Whether they present the visual history of a magazine that shaped culture, the life of an iconic figure, or retrospective collections by legendary designers, fashion exhibitions experienced a renaissance last year and continue in the same spirit this year. Prepare your fashion calendars and discover below a selection of those not to be missed in 2026.

Helmut Lang: Séance de Travail 1986–2005 at MAK, Vienna

“Looking at the architecture of Helmut Lang stores, it became obvious that his shops were dedicated to directing the gaze. That is what exhibitions should also do, but here it was essential. Photography is not enough; you have to experience it,” says Marlies Wirth, curator of Helmut Lang: Séance de Travail 1986–2005, the first retrospective of the work of this Austrian designer, which opened at the end of last year at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna. This statement encapsulates the exceptional precision and intelligence of Helmut Lang, who in the 1990s shaped the look of contemporary fashion with his cool, sharply minimalist expression and continues to exert a strong influence on the fashion scene today, as one of the most frequently cited contemporary designers alongside Martin Margiela. At MAK, every detail of the space has been carefully marked to immerse visitors in his world. Even the floor maps the seating arrangements and names of front row guests, from Isabella Blow to Edward Enninful, at the shows, or Séance de Travail, as Lang called them.

When? Until 3 May 2025.

Photo: kunst-dokumentation.com/MAK

The 90s at Tate Britain

Curated by former editor-in-chief of British Vogue Edward Enninful, this exhibition at Tate Britain explores the 1990s as “a new dawn of optimism, freedom and rebellion,” as well as the abundance of creative talent that defined the decade. Through the fashion of designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan, alongside photographs by artists including Corinne Day and David Sims, the exhibition examines all the forces that defined the era and shaped culture.

When? 1 October 2026 – 14 February 2027.

Photo: Juergen Teller

The Antwerp Six at MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp

The announcement of this exhibition generated great interest, as it is the first exhibition dedicated to the iconic group of Belgian designers known as The Antwerp Six: Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee. The year 2026 marks 40 years since these designers, graduates of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, rented a van and drove their collections to the British Designer Show in London. That journey proved a bold and brilliant success, attracting the attention of buyers and critics and turning the fashion industry’s gaze toward a city that had not previously been known for fashion.

When? 28 March 2026 – 17 January 2027.

Photo: Karel Fonteyne, courtesy of MoMu, Antwerp

Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at V&A South Kensington

“In difficult times, fashion is always daring,” reads a quote by Elsa Schiaparelli that accompanies the upcoming exhibition at the V&A, dedicated to the history and present of her fashion house. From the beginnings of Schiaparelli as a surrealist and avant-garde designer in the 1920s, including pieces created in collaboration with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau, to the contemporary revival of the brand under the leadership of Daniel Roseberry, the exhibition brings more than 200 exhibits together to present, for the first time in the United Kingdom, a comprehensive overview of the house’s extraordinary history.

When? From 28 March 2026.

Courtesy of Schiaparelli, Paris

Costume Art at the Met Costume Institute, New York

In keeping with the Met Gala event held on Monday, 4 May, the Costume Institute’s spring 2026 exhibition, Costume Art, marks the major debut of the Met’s new galleries, spanning approximately 1,100 square metres and located adjacent to the Great Hall. By pairing historical garments with works of art from prehistory to the present day, the exhibition explores the deep connection between the clothed body and artistic expression through political, aesthetic and conceptual themes. These pairings are organised according to enduring “body types,” revealing how the intersection of fashion and art has remained a universal language throughout the centuries of Western culture.

When? 10 May 2026 – 10 January 2027.

Photo: Anna-Marie Kellen, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, courtesy of Renata Buzzo

Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary at the Bowes Museumu

The Bowes Museum in Durham has a rich tradition of exhibitions dedicated to Vivienne Westwood, and in 2026 the Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary exhibition will be their most extensive to date. Featuring pieces from rarely shown private collections alongside items from the museum’s archive, the exhibition focuses on the twenty-year period from the 1980s to the 2000s, showing how the designer established herself as one of Britain’s greatest creative forces.

When? 28 March – 6 September 2026.

Photo: David M. Benett/Getty Images

Many Shades of Grès at the Museum of Decorative Arts Berlin

The renowned designer and costume maker Madame Grès will be presented to German audiences for the first time through this exhibition in Berlin. With a particular focus on pieces from the 1960s to the 1980s, the exhibition offers an opportunity to examine up close the masterful draping, pleating and construction that made Madame Grès one of the most successful and influential French designers.

When? 5 May – 22 November 2026.

Courtesy of Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstgewerbemuseum / Stephan Klonk