At 19M, this free fashion exhibition unveils the secrets behind Maison Michel’s hats.

Behind a beret, a boater, or a capeline lie hours of work and skills handed down through generations. From September 23 to December 13, 2026, the 19M will host a free exhibition dedicated to Maison Michel, inviting the public to discover the behind-the-scenes of hatmaking.

After pulling the thread of embroidery, weaving, and pleating, the Galerie du 19M shifts gears and opens its season with a new exhibition. From September 23 to December 13, 2026, Metamorphoses, Maison Michel's Hats lifts the veil on a Parisian house founded in 1936 and specializing in millinery. Free and open to everyone by reservation, the exhibition focuses as much on finished pieces as on the precise gestures that give them life.

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As you enter, the hat begins to reveal itself piece by piece. The visitor steps into something like a forest of linden wood shapes, the sculpted volumes from which artisans bring the various models to life. A particularly successful entry, ranking among the most immersive passages of the tour: even before seeing the finished hat, you literally enter its construction.

And here, the hat is dissected from every angle. Form, material, shaping, assembling, finishes: the exhibition traces its fabrication step by step. Linden wood is used to carve the shapes, felt is molded, straw is sewn, ribbons assembled and the little veils adjusted. Behind each hat there follow resetters, milliners, modistes and straw sewists. Rare trades, often hidden behind the scenes, which 19M here puts back in the spotlight.

As is often the case at the Galerie du 19M, the exhibition design favors pared-down clarity over a spectacle. No sea of hats stretching to the horizon: here, forms, materials, tools, and gestures are allowed to breathe. A stance that can feel a touch prudent, but it does the job of making the craft highly legible, from the raw felt or straw to the hat ready to take shape.

In a dim, hushed space, pristine white felt hats—berets, bibis, caps, canotiers, capelines, and fedoras—invite visitors to compare shapes, volumes, and the various ways a hat can be crafted.

The final section injects a little movement into this otherwise very restrained display. A path lined with creations designed for the runways of the great fashion houses or by young designers leads to a reconstruction of a hatter’s shop-workshop from the early 20th century. Some pieces stay fairly classic, while others push the boundaries more. Yet one would have liked this part to dare a bit more still, with more pieces, more volume and a few spectacular creations to give the route greater breadth.

It's upon stepping into this setting that the exhibition truly reveals its immersive dimension. Wood paneling, counters, props and furniture recreate the atmosphere of an old‑time establishment, with enough detail to make you want to linger. And on some Saturdays, the space really comes alive with L’Usine de Films Amateurs by Michel Gondry: visitors imagine and collectively shoot a short film in three hours, with no prior experience and by reservation.

The visit continues beyond the exhibition. Workshops, demonstrations, talks, and hands-on sessions invite visitors of all ages to handle the materials and explore the tools. A chance to better grasp the work behind a curve, a volume, or a perfectly set edge.

Founded in Paris in 1936, Maison Michel has kept alive for nearly a century the crafts of milliner, hatter, and corset maker. Supplying Haute Couture and Ready-to-Wear collections for numerous fashion houses, it also develops its own lines under the artistic direction of Priscilla Royer. Based at 19M, it joined the Chanel Métiers d’Art ecosystem in 1997.

This exhibition caters mainly to those who like to watch fashion come to life before their eyes, to understand the hands, the materials, and the steps behind a finished piece. Those hoping for an avalanche of couture silhouettes and spectacular hats may leave a bit unsatisfied: Métamorphoses prefers to show the workshop rather than put on a show. From its forest of shapes at the entrance, to a highly educational route, and a final workshop-boutique, the exhibition mainly succeeds in showing that before a hat can sit atop a head, it has involved many others behind the scenes.