Paris, France -  23 September 2017: The Galliera palace was the residence of the Duchess of Galliera. It was built between 1878 and 1894 by the architect Leon Ginain in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.
Cover Paris, France - 23 September 2017: The Galliera palace was the residence of the Duchess of Galliera. It was built between 1878 and 1894 by the architect Leon Ginain in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.

Fans of everything Chanel and 20th century fashion will get an opportunity later this year to rediscover one of the most celebrated designers in the history of fashion and her iconic creations through a comprehensive exhibition at Paris's Palais Galliera.

The Palais Galliera, the City of Paris's museum all about fashion, was closed in 2018 to undergo construction and was due to reopen last spring. Due to the global health crisis, it will instead be opening its doors on October 1. For the occasion, visitors to this temple of fashion will see its first retrospective dedicated to Gabrielle Chanel.

Organized with support from Chanel, the exhibit will retrace the life of the great French couture designer and be punctuated by now-legendary designs such as the jersey sailor shirt from 1916.

An entire section of the exhibit examines the signatures of Gabrielle Chanel's personal style, from the tweed suit to both costume and fine jewellery and the classic quilted 2.55 handbag. 1921's iconic perfume N°5 will have an entire room dedicated to it.  

In all, more than 350 items gathered from the Galliera's collection, Chanel's archives, international museums, and private collections will be on display in nearly 1,500 square metres, including new spaces created during the museum's closure.


Gabrielle Chanel, A Fashion Manifesto runs 1 October 2020 to 14 March 2021 at the Palais Galliera.