10 exhibitions fusing fashion and art to see during spring 2026

Though Henry Clay Frick collected Thomas Gainsborough in depth, the Frick Collection had never presented an exhibition devoted to the British artist until this spring. While there’s no denying the beauty and extravagance of the sitters in the English artist’s portraits, this exhibition proves that there’s much more to the fashion than meets the eye. Behind each sartorial decision lies a clue about the sitter’s life and position in society. Amongst the 25 portraits, deemed to be many of Gainsborough’s most exemplary works, is a 1778 portrait of James Christie, who was friends with the artist. As the Frick describes in its label for the work: ‘Advertising the sitter’s trade, the portrait hung in Christie’s salesrooms on Pall Mall until 1846. It also promoted the art of Gainsborough himself, whose frequent presence at Christie’s, the auctioneer reportedly said, increased his commissions by 15 percent.’

The Frick will soon open a companion show, Ruffles & Ribbons: Fashion Plates from the Time of Marie Antoinette, running from 1 April through 3 August 2026. For even more art and fashion, on 30 April the museum will also host a symposium, where scholars, including Jonquil O’Reilly, Christie’s Head of Sale, Old Master Paintings, will discuss the relationship between fashion and art in European paintings and prints from the 15th through 18th centuries.

This spring the V&A will present the UK’s first exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli and how current creative director Daniel Roseberry is reviving her surrealist vision at the house of Schiaparelli today. While the radical designer’s extensive artistic collaborations are universally celebrated, this exhibition will be the first to spotlight the historic London branch of Schiaparelli and its clientele, in addition to the company’s Paris and New York outposts. Comprising the 200 objects on view are garments, accessories, perfumes, furniture and archival material with artworks by Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Man Ray and more.

One of this year’s most exciting openings is the Fondazione Dries Van Noten, founded by the Belgian fashion designer and his husband Patrick Vangheluwe. Occupying Palazzo Pisani Moretta, which overlooks the Grand Canal in Venice, the foundation will present a wide array of work by both established and emerging talents across fashion and jewellery as well as fine and decorative art. Its debut show takes its title from a 1960s lyric by American songwriter and political activist Phil Ochs: ‘In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty.’ Curated by Van Noten and Geert Bruloot, this show will champion material experimentation and craftsmanship with more than 200 works ranging from archival garments by Christian Lacroix and Comme des Garçons to collectible design by Ettore Sottsass and Misha Kahn.

The Costume Institute’s spring 2026 exhibition will be a museum-wide phenomenon in terms of its cross-departmental approach. Garments will be paired with artworks encompassing many of the museum’s fine and decorative art departments to tell the story of how the dressed body has been depicted throughout history. Looks will be organised by body types, for example, the ‘Classical Body’, the ‘Pregnant body’, etc. The show will also mark the inaugural exhibition in the nearly 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries, adjacent to the Great Hall, where The Costume Institute’s annual spring show will be held moving forward.

Last May the Fondazione Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti opened PM23, a hub for fashion, art and culture, in Rome’s Piazza Mignanelli. The venue’s current exhibition pays homage to the renowned Italian designer, who passed earlier this year, through the creative vision of Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, known for her vivacious and voluminous installations. ‘My work and Valentino Garavani’s speak to each other until they converge in a final, almost suspended moment. Mr. Valentino believes deeply in beauty – and so do I’, Vasconcelos said of her intervention, which includes site-specific pieces inspired by Garavani. More than 200 people contributed to the over 200 kilograms of crocheted artworks, providing a kaleidoscopic backdrop for Garavani’s intricate garments.

‘Is fashion art?’ In its latest show, the Museum at FIT (MFIT) thoroughly investigates this age-old question using the framework of art and fashion historian Dr. Christopher Richards (Brooklyn College). Illustrating that if a garment has an innovative form, exquisite craftsmanship and cultural impact it can be considered art, the exhibition brings together looks by Martin Margiela, Rei Kawakubo, Christian Dior and many brands and designers known for their avant-garde creations and artistic patronage. Tackling topics ranging from contemporary artists’ collaborations with luxury brands to artists’ own wardrobes, the show conveys that, above all, fashion and art have always been parallel creative forces.

Featuring more than 30 works by the Frida Kahlo and 120 by artists that she inspired, the MFA Houston’s sweeping show examines how the Mexican artist rose to fame, as well as her immense legacy. Not only is Kahlo’s personal clothing and memorabilia displayed, but the place of her iconic signature style in pop culture is also explored. As Mari Carmen Ramírez, Wortham Curator of Latin American Art at the MFAH and founding director of the Museum’s International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA) says in the exhibition’s online description: ‘Frida: The Making of an Icon attempts to separate Frida Kahlo the artist from Frida Kahlo the phenomenon.’ This exhibition will travel to Tate Modern from 25 June 2026 through 3 January 2027.

Having originated at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, in 2023, Iris van Herpen’s genre-defying retrospective will make its American debut this spring at the Brooklyn Museum. As a pioneer in incorporating technology into fashion, the Dutch couturier has revolutionised what wearable art can be. Although van Herpen embraces technology, her ultimate muse is nature, as the exhibition reflects in its array of natural specimens and scientific artifacts. Eternally curious about fields outside her own, from neuroscience to architecture, van Herpen additionally spotlights the work of designers and artists who inspire her, including James Turrell, David Spriggs and Tara Donovan.

For the first time in Germany, Madame Grès’s groundbreaking haute couture garments will be exhibited at the the Kunstgewerbemuseum (KGM, Museum of Applied Arts). With one of the largest Madame Grès collections outside of Paris, where the couturier was based, the museum will present 25 ensembles alongside work by students from the School of Culture and Design of the Berlin University of Applied Sciences. These student contributions, which are inspired by the designer who was famous for her folded, pleated and draped gowns that nodded to ancient sculpture, include paintings, sculptures, photographs, films and more.

French savoir-faire and Japanese craftsmanship converge in a new exhibition at le19m, a creative hub founded by Chanel to preserve and present the work of highly skilled maisons specialising in beading, embroidery, lace and more. Having originated in Tokyo last year, le19M’s current exhibition celebrates the creative dialogue between Japanese and French artisans and designers.  Presented is a striking mix of sculpture, ceramics, textiles and light installations that take inspiration from the five elements: earth, water, fire, wind and air. These elements are also echoed in the show’s scenography.