Thematic exhibition guide

Fashion in all its majesty: the Haute Couture exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs unfolds — our photos

The Decorative Arts Museum hosts Fashion in Majesty: Haute Couture and Tradition at the Thai court from May 13 to November 1, 2026. Through more than a hundred outfits, accessories, and textile pieces drawn from the royal family's collections, the exhibition shows how Queen Sirikit modernized Thai ceremonial dress while preserving its traditional codes, notably through her collaboration with Pierre Balmain and Maison Lesage.

This free Haute Couture fashion exhibition has taken up residence in an Art Deco auction house in Paris.

The auction house Tajan is staging a free exhibition in Paris dedicated to haute couture in the 8th arrondissement, on Friday, May 22, and then from Monday, May 25 to Wednesday, May 27, 2026. An exclusive collection brings together fashion pieces and accessories from the greatest houses, from Dior to Chanel, Alaïa to Alexander McQueen, with Hermès not forgotten.

This two-part fashion exhibition, a marquee event, has been extended until mid-May 2026 — our photos

Since November 20, 2025, the Dior Gallery has been hosting an entirely new exhibition bringing together more than a hundred pieces from Azzedine Alaïa’s collection. Extended to May 17, 2026, this event echoes a second exhibition presented at the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation from December 1, 2025, and on view until June 21, 2026. Together, these two showcases celebrate the captivating dialogue between Dior and Alaïa, while highlighting the Tunisian couturier’s deep admiration for the mythical New Look.

Paradise Feathers: An Invitation to Travel to Papua New Guinea, from the Quai Branly

The Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum in Paris is hosting the exhibition Feathers of Paradise from May 12 to November 8, 2026. Dedicated to the birds of paradise from New Guinea, this showcase features nearly 190 items—including adornments, paintings, preserved specimens, fashion objects, and illustrated books. The exhibit takes visitors on a journey through five centuries of fascination with these spectacular creatures, weaving together perspectives from art, science, ethnology, and ecology.

This staging dives into rare, unreleased archives from a premier fashion house, with talks in Paris.

In the Marais, Rabanne’s archives go on display on May 29–30, 2026, through a dedicated exhibition setup. Sketches, design documents and rare pieces trace a journey into the house’s memory, echoing the launch of Griffé’s fourth issue. Talks with former members of the house will extend this immersion into fashion archives and the behind-the-scenes world.

A wardrobe of one’s own: the fashion exhibition on the 19th-century revolution of women’s dress at the Palais Galliera

At the Palais Galliera, the exhibition A Wardrobe of One’s Own: Dissident Femininities in the 19th Century reveals a little-known facet of women's fashion. From September 26, 2026 to February 14, 2027, more than 350 works trace how 19th‑century women appropriated the male wardrobe. An exhibition where clothing becomes a tool for emancipation and for reshaping identities.

Heritage in Resistance: From Timbuktu to Odessa, an Exhibition at the City of Architecture.

In Paris, the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine presents the exhibition Patrimoines en résistance : de Tombouctou à Odessa, running from May 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027, a look at heritage in wartime, where destruction, safeguarding, and rebuilding come into play.

Coastal Bodies: Camille Guichard's exhibition at the Rachel Hardouin Gallery

The Rachel Hardouin Gallery highlights Camille Guichard with Corps littoral, her first solo exhibition in Paris, running May 21 to June 21, 2026. Blending contemporary photography, poetic texts, bodies and the coastline, the artist examines our relationship with the living world.

Jardins des Lumières: an exhibition on the art of garden design at the Grand Trianon, Palace of Versailles

At the Grand Trianon of the Palace of Versailles, in Yvelines, the exhibition Jardins des Lumières (1750-1800) delves into the art of the landscape garden through nearly 160 works, including paintings, models, drawings, and furniture. Go see it from May 5 to September 27, 2026, and take the opportunity to explore the Trianon gardens and the Queen's Hamlet.

This collection of classic cars turns the Grand Palais into an automotive temple — last day.

In Paris, the Grand Palais will host, on May 3 and 4, an extraordinary exhibition of more than 230 classic cars, in the run-up to Tour Auto 2026. A few hours before the start of this iconic event, the heir to the Tour de France Automobile, visitors have the chance to get up close to rare and prestigious models before they take to the roads of France. Here’s what we thought.

This free exhibition celebrates the Monogram’s 130th anniversary with a selection of exceptional trunks in Paris.

In Paris, some exhibitions are worth a detour. To mark the 130th anniversary of Louis Vuitton's Monogram canvas, Gros & Delettrez unveils a rare selection of trunks and travel goods from May 19 to 21, 2026. Three days to discover them for free, before they go up for auction.

Origins: an exhibition that probes discrimination at the Museum of the History of Immigration

Contemporary art challenges racism and discrimination in a groundbreaking exhibition on display at the National Museum of the History of Immigration, from June 5 to August 23, 2026.

This grand gathering of classic cars is back in a charming park in the Yvelines.

Le Vésinet hosts the 3rd edition of Vési-Rétro on Sunday, July 5, 2026, at Parc des Ibis – Pelouse des Fêtes. Classic cars and prestige models gather there in a lush, welcoming setting. A day dedicated to vintage automobiles and discovery.

The President of the Republic's Honorary Titles: a free exhibition at the Élysée Palace in Paris

At the Élysée, power wears its insignia rather than its rhetoric. With the free exhibition “The Honorary Titles of the President of the Republic,” on display from April 28 to June 27, 2026, it is the decorations of power that take center stage.

Open-air exhibition of Theodoulos Gregoriou's sculptures in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré district

Faubourg Saint-Honoré is rewritten as an open-air gallery with a free, outdoor exhibition in Paris, where time is carved in layered strata. From April 28 to July 27, 2026, the sculptures by Cypriot artist Theodoulos Gregoriou for "Cyprus on Faubourg Saint-Honoré" invite memory and contemporary creation to converse in the heart of the 1st arrondissement, between reinvented ruins and today’s sculptural language.

Le Vésinet, Chatou, Carrières-sur-Seine... artist studios open their doors in May 2026.

On the occasion of the Parcours d’art de la Boucle de Seine, on May 30–31, 2026, nearly sixty artist studios and craftspeople will open their doors to the public. From Carrières-sur-Seine to Chatou, via Croissy-sur-Seine, Houilles, Le Vésinet and Montesson, this free art-filled excursion invites visitors to discover the behind-the-scenes of creation along the charming lanes of the Yvelines (78).

Soulages–Hartung Exhibition in Paris: Elective Affinities at Perrotin Gallery

In Paris, the Perrotin gallery is dedicating an exhibition to Pierre Soulages and Hans Hartung, titled Soulages-Hartung: Elective Affinities, from April 25 to May 30, 2026. This artistic gathering brings together works, archives, an unpublished interview and studio tools to illuminate the connections, differences and shared inquiries of the two major postwar abstraction painters.

Lee Mingwei at Perrotin Gallery in Paris: an exhibition exploring connection, gesture, and ritual

Perrotin Gallery in Paris presents a show by artist Lee Mingwei, titled "When Beauty Appears," running from April 25 to May 30, 2026. A contemporary art exhibition rooted in ritual, exchange, and the visitor's experience.

Viandalism: the exhibition bridging street art and contemporary art at the Mona Bismarck

Graffiti and contemporary art converge at the Mona Bismarck with Viandalism, an exhibition bringing together 40 artists from May 7 to 8, 2026. Over two days, this artistic gathering offers a different way of circulating the works and presenting them to the public. Free admission, but registration is required.

Femmes Galactik: a free, cosmic fashion photography exhibition in the Marais

In the Marais, photographer Kenza Le Bas unveils "Femmes Galactik," a first-ever free photography exhibition featuring chromed reflections that highlight women who are free, strong, and inspiring.