Paris fashion has officially landed in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) presents “Paris Couture,” an exhibition of more than 80 haute couture masterpieces on loan from the Palais Galliera, Paris Fashion Museum, on view in the Target Galleries from October 4, 2026 through January 17, 2027.
The show traces the history of haute couture from the late 19th century to today, bringing true icons of fashion history to Minnesota: Christian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Madame Grès are among the legendary names represented. Each garment is a masterclass in imagination, flawless technique, and lavish materials — a vivid reminder of how the great Parisian ateliers transformed dressmaking into one of the great art forms of the modern era.
Why you should see Paris Couture
- A rare loan from Paris — more than 80 gowns and ensembles from one of the world’s great fashion collections, seldom seen outside the Palais Galliera.
- Craft up close — stand inches from hand-stitched embroidery, sculptural draping, and couture textiles that reward a slow look.
- Fashion as art history — couture in dialogue with Mia’s encyclopedic collection of more than 100,000 works spanning 5,000 years of world art.
- Free daily admission — the museum itself is free every day, so this blockbuster outing is friendly to every budget.
Organized in collaboration with the Palais Galliera and Paris Musées, “Paris Couture” runs through mid-January — right across the holiday season, making it a perfect cold-weather outing for fashion lovers, design students, and anyone who appreciates extraordinary craft. The museum is located at 2400 Third Avenue South, minutes from downtown Minneapolis.
The Palais Galliera connection is what elevates this show. As Paris’s dedicated museum of fashion, the Galliera safeguards one of the richest couture collections on earth, and loans of this scale are rare — many of these garments almost never travel. Seeing them together, arranged across more than a century of design, is the closest thing to walking through the history of modern elegance itself. Bonus for your visit: Mia currently has several other major exhibitions on view, including “María Berrío: Songlines,” “Exhibiting Forgiveness” by Titus Kaphar, and “Take the Picture!” — all included with free museum admission.
Happy City News tip: exhibitions of this scale draw big crowds, especially on weekends and during the holidays. Arrive early, then linger in Mia’s permanent galleries — admission is free, so you can take your time. See exhibition details and plan your visit on Mia’s official site.
