These names are inscribed in the history of fashion in letters of gold – fashion designers, or couturiers, who have brought about changes in fashion, offering a vision so compelling and original that it has been accepted without reservation, or who have been particularly skilful in drawing on traditions, craftsmanship and timeless beauty. Some of these names are known to everyone, even those who claim to have no interest in fashion, whilst others have been quite undeservedly forgotten – largely because the fashion houses founded by these masters no longer exist. The transient nature of fashion is ruthless in this respect…

The exhibition ‘The Greatest Names in Fashion’ offers an insight into the history of 20th-century fashion by tracing the journeys of its creators: from Paul Poiret’s oriental extravagance to Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s modern approach, from the refined femininity of Jeanne Lanvin and Madeleine Vionnet to Elsa Schiaparelli’s bold surrealism, from Christian Dior’s ‘flower-woman’ to Cristóbal Balenciaga’s sculptural mastery, from the 1960s minimalism of Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin and André Courrèges to the flamboyant Italians Valentino Garavani and Gianni Versace, concluding with the provocative trends in Parisian haute couture introduced by Jean-Paul Gaultier and John Galliano.

The exhibition will also provide an insight into the significant periods of change that fashion – and haute couture in particular – has undergone. In its day, haute couture consisted of made-to-measure garments of the very highest quality, crafted from the finest materials.

The luxury of these garments lay not in their bright colours or extravagant silhouettes, but in their impeccable cut, tailoring and the quality of the fabrics. Today, one would call this ‘quiet luxury’ – silk cocktail dresses, day suits, woollen coats. However, the craftsmanship is of such high quality that each of these garments is a true little masterpiece, which fashion connoisseurs will recognise at a glance.

In the 1950s, the idea that designer clothes could also be sold in shops as ready-to-wear items – choose your size, pay and put them on! – began to attract increasing attention. Prêt-à-porter clothing enabled fashion houses to reach a much wider clientele, as the prices of such garments were significantly lower and they were more readily available – without the need for measurements or repeated fittings. In the 1960s, this new approach became firmly established in the fashion industry – haute couture now had to compete with garments that were more affordable but no less interesting in terms of design.

Nowadays, there are very few fashion houses left that adhere to the strict rules of haute couture, and their client base is also shrinking. Not everyone can afford an outfit costing anywhere from several thousand to as much as hundreds of thousands… As lifestyles change, there are no longer as many occasions where one might wear such special outfits.

For the most part, fashion houses make their money from ready-to-wear clothing, as well as collections of cosmetics, perfumes and accessories. Haute couture, on the other hand – for those fashion houses that have retained this division at all – serves more as a huge, visually spectacular show. Its purpose is not so much to offer designs that can actually be worn, but rather to build the fashion house’s reputation and recognition, define its stylistic direction and showcase its creativity.

Fashion, as it has always done, accurately reflects what is happening in society: convenience and comfort are becoming more important to us than high status and a flawless cut, which require us to maintain a straight posture, strike elegant poses to complement our outfits, and choose equally flawless accessories. Does this mean that the unique craftsmanship of couturiers, tailors, seamstresses and embroiderers will be lost? – As long as the ateliers of fashion houses, much like secret treasure troves, preserve the priceless skills and experience that master craftsmen have passed down from generation to generation, we need not worry about fashion.

Over the past 10 years, the Fashion Museum has not only presented 16 exhibitions dedicated to fashion and its history, but has also diligently built and expanded its collection. A small part of it will be on display in the new exhibition, an idea that came to museum’s Director Natalia Muzychkina several years ago: “We wanted to create a special exhibition for the 10th anniversary. And what could be more appealing than chic outfits that once belonged to celebrities? We are delighted to share the beauty that has been quietly awaiting its moment in the spotlight in our collection’s storage.”

The exhibition features outfits worn by singers, actresses, and other influential figures, as well as costumes from films and TV series. Fans of the ‘Downton Abbey’ series are sure to be particularly delighted, as the exhibition features the costume of the screen heroine Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, worn by the outstanding British actress Maggie Smith. Music lovers, meanwhile, will surely be delighted by the outfit of musician, actress, and style icon Marianne Faithfull. Fashion connoisseurs will appreciate the outfit designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, which once belonged to Lady Romilly McAlpine, the most extravagant fashionista of British high society, as well as the bright red, stunningly elegant Thierry Mugler vintage suit, which Kim Kardashian wore in a photo and video shoot directed by Mugler himself for the ‘7 Hollywood’ magazine. Meanwhile, a beautiful silk taffeta dress with flowers was once part of Madonna’s film costume wardrobe while filming the movie “Evita.”

The exhibition is also special in that it gives equal prominence to both the costumes on display in the showcases and the life stories of the people who once wore them. Through these garments, we can get a little closer to the people we have seen on screens, on television, in newspapers, and in books.

The exhibition ‘Celebrities’ Outfits’ features items from the Fashion Museum’s collection, spanning the period from the late 19th century to the present day. As in other exhibitions, visitors have the opportunity to try on replica outfits—extravagant garments worthy of a celebrity photo shoot.

Over the past 10 years, the Fashion Museum has not only presented 16 exhibitions dedicated to fashion and its history, but has also diligently built and expanded its collection. A small part of it will be on display in the new exhibition, an idea that came to museum’s Director Natalia Muzychkina several years ago: “We wanted to create a special exhibition for the 10th anniversary. And what could be more appealing than chic outfits that once belonged to celebrities? We are delighted to share the beauty that has been quietly awaiting its moment in the spotlight in our collection’s storage.”

The exhibition features outfits worn by singers, actresses, and other influential figures, as well as costumes from films and TV series. Fans of the ‘Downton Abbey’ series are sure to be particularly delighted, as the exhibition features the costume of the screen heroine Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, worn by the outstanding British actress Maggie Smith. Music lovers, meanwhile, will surely be delighted by the outfit of musician, actress, and style icon Marianne Faithfull. Fashion connoisseurs will appreciate the outfit designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, which once belonged to Lady Romilly McAlpine, the most extravagant fashionista of British high society, as well as the bright red, stunningly elegant Thierry Mugler vintage suit, which Kim Kardashian wore in a photo and video shoot directed by Mugler himself for the ‘7 Hollywood’ magazine. Meanwhile, a beautiful silk taffeta dress with flowers was once part of Madonna’s film costume wardrobe while filming the movie “Evita.”

The exhibition is also special in that it gives equal prominence to both the costumes on display in the showcases and the life stories of the people who once wore them. Through these garments, we can get a little closer to the people we have seen on screens, on television, in newspapers, and in books.

The exhibition ‘Celebrities’ Outfits’ features items from the Fashion Museum’s collection, spanning the period from the late 19th century to the present day. As in other exhibitions, visitors have the opportunity to try on replica outfits—extravagant garments worthy of a celebrity photo shoot.

Over the past 10 years, the Fashion Museum has not only presented 16 exhibitions dedicated to fashion and its history, but has also diligently built and expanded its collection. A small part of it will be on display in the new exhibition, an idea that came to museum’s Director Natalia Muzychkina several years ago: “We wanted to create a special exhibition for the 10th anniversary. And what could be more appealing than chic outfits that once belonged to celebrities? We are delighted to share the beauty that has been quietly awaiting its moment in the spotlight in our collection’s storage.”

The exhibition features outfits worn by singers, actresses, and other influential figures, as well as costumes from films and TV series. Fans of the ‘Downton Abbey’ series are sure to be particularly delighted, as the exhibition features the costume of the screen heroine Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, worn by the outstanding British actress Maggie Smith. Music lovers, meanwhile, will surely be delighted by the outfit of musician, actress, and style icon Marianne Faithfull. Fashion connoisseurs will appreciate the outfit designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, which once belonged to Lady Romilly McAlpine, the most extravagant fashionista of British high society, as well as the bright red, stunningly elegant Thierry Mugler vintage suit, which Kim Kardashian wore in a photo and video shoot directed by Mugler himself for the ‘7 Hollywood’ magazine. Meanwhile, a beautiful silk taffeta dress with flowers was once part of Madonna’s film costume wardrobe while filming the movie “Evita.”

The exhibition is also special in that it gives equal prominence to both the costumes on display in the showcases and the life stories of the people who once wore them. Through these garments, we can get a little closer to the people we have seen on screens, on television, in newspapers, and in books.

The exhibition ‘Celebrities’ Outfits’ features items from the Fashion Museum’s collection, spanning the period from the late 19th century to the present day. As in other exhibitions, visitors have the opportunity to try on replica outfits—extravagant garments worthy of a celebrity photo shoot.

The boudoir is at the heart of the exhibition’s title for good reason. In the mid-18th century, influenced by the playful Rococo style and the ideas of the Enlightenment, the first room without any specific practical functions was created, intended solely for women, their solitude and comfort. The boudoir was usually located next to the bedroom and was mostly a private salon for wealthy ladies, where they could receive their closest guests, as well as relax, do handicrafts, read or write letters.

With the development of private spaces such as boudoirs, a whole range of sophisticated homewear was created, complemented by elegant indoor footwear. The boudoir was an intimate space where a woman could stay while partially dressed, in a negligee or homewear. These different degrees of intimacy can also be seen and appreciated in the exhibition.

In a broader sense, the exhibition is dedicated to the connection between fashion and the body and privacy – and how the boundaries between the secret, the unseen and the visible have changed over time.

The exhibition features costumes, underwear, corsets, petticoats, and accessories from the collection of the Alexandre Vassiliev Foundation and the Fashion Museum. The exhibition covers the period from the early 19th century to the present day.

The boudoir is at the heart of the exhibition’s title for good reason. In the mid-18th century, influenced by the playful Rococo style and the ideas of the Enlightenment, the first room without any specific practical functions was created, intended solely for women, their solitude and comfort. The boudoir was usually located next to the bedroom and was mostly a private salon for wealthy ladies, where they could receive their closest guests, as well as relax, do handicrafts, read or write letters.

With the development of private spaces such as boudoirs, a whole range of sophisticated homewear was created, complemented by elegant indoor footwear. The boudoir was an intimate space where a woman could stay while partially dressed, in a negligee or homewear. These different degrees of intimacy can also be seen and appreciated in the exhibition.

In a broader sense, the exhibition is dedicated to the connection between fashion and the body and privacy – and how the boundaries between the secret, the unseen and the visible have changed over time.

The exhibition features costumes, underwear, corsets, petticoats, and accessories from the collection of the Alexandre Vassiliev Foundation and the Fashion Museum. The exhibition covers the period from the early 19th century to the present day.

Art Deco combined seemingly disparate currents and sources of inspiration, including modern art movements, especially Cubism and Suprematism, and later Expressionism, as well as an interest in the exotic, including ancient Egypt, Japan, China and Central America. It was also a desire to recover from the chaos of wartime, striving for symmetry, stability, luxury and an atmosphere of eternal party. Industrial and technical developments also played a huge role, making cool, metallic gloss, fast cars popular, and new types of buildings striving for greater functionality.

Unlike the previous great movement in design and art, Art Nouveau, Art Deco was inspired not so much by nature as by the man-made environment – the modern metropolis, speed and technology. The sinuous lines of Art Nouveau were replaced by angular shapes and elegant geometry borrowed from Cubism, while the melancholic atmosphere of the early 1900s was replaced by an almost frenetic buzz, manifested in everything from the syncopated rhythms of jazz music to the ever newer and faster vehicles on the streets – and in the sky.

One of the biggest changes in the war and post-war period was for women – and this was reflected in fashion. A whole new type of woman now inhabited the big cities: with short hair, tunic dresses that shocked the older generation, elegant silk stockings and shoes that could finally be shown to everyone, with a little bell-shaped hat pulled low over her eyes, she hurried off to work, study, a date in a trendy café or an evening of jazz. No longer wearing corsets and dresses that required a maid’s help to fasten and unfasten, this woman could simply pull a 1920s dress over her head, even one designed for the evening. And, unlike the dresses of the previous period, one could move freely in them.

The exhibition features costumes and accessories by outstanding couturiers and fashion history classics – Paul Poiret, Raoul Dufy, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Jean Patou, and Jeanne Lanvin – from the collection of the Alexandre Vassiliev Foundation, the collection of the Fashion Museum, and the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation.