Fashion in Motion #3: Between Couture and Winter Sports
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Today, I invite you to continue – and conclude – our exploration of the exhibition Fashion in Motion, which will present its final part until October 2025 at the Palais Galliera. This third chapter extends our discovery of the connection between couture and sport, while emphasizing the development of winter sports and their wardrobe. This display beautifully complements the first two and reflects both the evolution of society and that of fashion.
Fashion in Motion: An Evolving Exhibition
Launched in 2023, the Fashion in Motion exhibition at the Palais Galliera is distinguished by its chaptering. Indeed, it is through three displays, unfolding over three years, that this dialogue between couture and sport is revealed to the public. After the first part focused on colors, followed by a second highlighting the influence of seaside resorts on the wardrobe, it is now winter sports that become the common thread of this third and final chapter of the exhibition.
What Does the Third Display of the Palais Galliera Exhibition Reveal?
As in the previous part, this third display of the Fashion in Motion exhibition retains certain pieces from earlier events. Specifically, to illustrate the genesis of this relationship between sport and couture. Among these, we find early garments related to automobiles, walking, horseback riding, hunting, and the first outfits that allowed enjoyment of the ocean’s delights. Clothing, accessories, drawings, and period photographs enable us to observe the evolution of society and how clothing has accompanied it.
Moreover, this third part highlights over 180 new pieces, showcasing a new facet of the sports wardrobe. Between feminine, masculine, and androgynous silhouettes, we observe outfits for tennis, golf, and fencing, underscoring how sportswear has developed over the years. Both on the field and off endurance tracks.
Fashion in Motion #3: A Look at Winter Sports
After a second part that took us to the seaside, this third installment of the Fashion in Motion exhibition heads to the high mountains. Indeed, among the 180 new pieces presented, a portion highlights the rise of winter sports and the impact of practice on textiles.
Like the expansion of rail lines to seaside resorts, the creation of ski resorts has also evolved our wardrobe. As we explore the displayed pieces, we discover how the alpine world has opened new perspectives for designers and houses. Between technical and creative challenges, brands have had to adapt to the mountain and its environment, requiring clothing that is both warm and practical.
We also observe how the idea of performance has integrated into the wardrobe. Specifically, by exploring the technical capabilities of materials to create pieces that are no longer solely meant for recreational use but competitive.
These garments also emphasize the social importance that the world of winter sports carries with it. Crafted with taste and elegance, the displayed silhouettes reflect the pursuit of a polished appearance, echoing the upper class.
Our Opinion on the Fashion in Motion Exhibition
This third part beautifully concludes the cycle of the Fashion in Motion exhibition. Original in its three-part structure, this installation has proven to be very interesting to discover. In numerous ways.
Beyond simply providing a view of fashion, the three displays at the Palais Galliera have allowed us to rediscover and understand the evolution of society, its morals, and its habits. We observed variations in the codes of dressing and thinking about clothing. From both a technical and aesthetic perspective. It was also an opportunity to rediscover the expansion of sporting practices, between playful and competitive visions. And how these have been democratized, for women and different classes of society.
In addition to having the chance to observe pieces rarely exhibited (some of which are very old), the Fashion in Motion exhibition at the Palais Galliera offers us a journey through time with an unprecedented and simply fascinating focus. Furthermore, the richness of the pieces, including clothing, accessories, magazines, photographs, and sketches, testifies to an era, sometimes distant, but whose fashion still inspires us today.
Thus, we discover an exciting and informative dialogue between sport and fashion. And you have until October 12, 2025, to explore the final display.
