Fashion Museums of the World

Fashion is life for many people. Designers are geniuses and models are celebrities. Fashion shows are entertainment and what they produce drive our look and ultimately feel. There are many museums dedicated to this wonderful theme.

In fact, museums are a real inspiration source for many designers. Many provide a very deep history report on the narrow theme they represent. Most major cities in the world have textile museums such as Toronto, Washington, London. Some have more narrow topic like shoes or costume or lingerie.

Bath Museum of Costume

Bath Museum of Costume has collections of Dress of the Year, photographs, corsets, and rooms representing particular century. It is one of the most complete and known fashion museums in the world.

Toronto Bata Shoe Museum

What may sound like not a big deal turns out to be an amazing find. Your wildest dreams will not create models on the permanent display of the Bata Shoe Museum. You will find a deep dive in history from very early prehistoric shoes displays to fancy 17 century embroidered models to an avant-garde modern crazy stilettos. There is also exhibit of shoes once worn by celebrities including Princess Diana and Elvis Prestley. And even little Chinese shoes that were once worn by poor ladies with debilitating feet in late 19 century. Ouch!

Amsterdam Purses Museum

Amsterdam Purses Museum is one not to miss when travelling to Holland. Purses museum will open your mind on what is done to these cute accessories that woman can’t live without. Inspired by purse business evolution museum displays thousands of bags, totes and clutches made out of sophisticated fabrics, embroideries, jewels, crystals, ivory and more.

Los Angeles FIDM Museum

FIDM Museum is part of the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing in Los Angeles. Created to aide students on inspiration and research museum has a permanent collection of womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, fragrance, textile, jewellery and accessories that total over 15,000 pieces. You will find many designer pieces from almost all big names like Gianni Versace, Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and others. Instead of showing students pictures and PowerPoint presentations FIDM institution decided to create a live exhibit for them. Wow!

Mode Museum in Antwerp, Belgium

Mode Museum is fully dedicated to fashion and art of fashion and presents over 25,000 items covering all aspects of clothing, shoes and accessories. An amazing modern building presents permanent collections and year round rotating exhibitions. Also, you can see most of the collection online!

Other dorky museums are Celebrity Underwear Museum (Musee du Slip) in Brussels, Counterfeit Museum (Musee de la Contrafaçon or Counterfeit Museum) in Paris and Leila’s Hair Museum in Missouri.