Palais Galliera

Hôtel La Tamise naturally suggests you visit the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris given its sophisticated setting whose stylish look has been designed by a team of craftsmen like a piece of haute couture.

The Palais' history and architecture
 

This awe-inspiring Neo-Renaissance "Beaux Arts" palace was built in 1878 by the architect Paul-René-Léon Ginain for Duchess Galliera and is now home to the Musée de la Mode de Paris. Originally the duchess wanted to display her personal art collection here which her ancestors began in the 17th century with the family portrait by Van Dyck and grew over the centuries. When she died she left her legacy to her much-loved city of Paris. Paris became known as the capital of fashion in the 20th century and the fascination in clothing grew. Palais Galliera was turned into a costume museum before becoming Paris' fashion and costume museum. Following major renovation work, Palais Galliera became the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris in 2013.

Important fashion collection

Palais Galliera is unique in that it only hosts temporary exhibitions due to how fragile the pieces on display are. These incredibly important collections run from the 18th century to the present day.

The different departments include:

• 18th and 19th century costumes: collections of important costumes from the Enlightenment to late 19th century fashion making it one of the largest departments in the world. Hôtel la Tamise recommends you explore the period menswear, womenswear, childrenswear and stylish theatre costumes.
• Early 20th century: fashion items from the period such as clothing by Jeanne Lanvin, Paul Poiret etc.
• Haute Couture: unlike ready-to-wear which appeared in the 70s, haute couture applies to bespoke clothing made from the 50s following the launch of the New Look by Christian Dior.
• Contemporary design: addresses the start of ready-to-wear and its evolutions.
• Accessories: over 30,000 important pieces.
• Graphic arts: showcasing fashion design and sketches by famous designers.
• Photography collection: an all-encompassing snapshot of fashion history addressing body image.