The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) will present a unique adaptation of the Musée du Louvre's highly successful inaugural fashion exhibition, "Louvre Couture." The original show, which debuted in Paris in late January, became such a popular destination that the Louvre extended its run through August 24. Now, Houston museum visitors will have the opportunity to experience their own version of this groundbreaking exhibition from November 19 through March 15, 2026.

The collaboration began when MFAH director Gary Tinterow and curator Christine Gervais traveled to Paris in March to see the original exhibition firsthand. "They both fell in love with it... and loved to see if we could [create] a version of it here," MFAH curator Cindi Strauss told the Chronicle. Their enthusiasm led to a meeting the following month with Olivier Gabet, director of the Musée du Louvre's department of decorative arts, who visited Houston to tour the museum's facilities and finalize the partnership.

"Louvre Couture at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston" will feature 35 carefully selected ensembles from more than two dozen prestigious fashion houses, including Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Vivienne Westwood, Versace, and Thom Browne. The exhibition will be distributed across two buildings on the Fayez S. Sarofim Campus, with each sartorial piece strategically placed within the galleries of antiquities, European art, American art, modern and contemporary works, and design. Each fashion piece will be presented in direct dialogue with artworks from MFAH's permanent collection, creating unique conversations between fashion and fine art.

Unlike the original Louvre exhibition, which was housed in a single department and featured more than 100 looks, the Houston adaptation takes a more integrated approach. "The Louvre is a very large palatial building and we just don't have that," Gervais explained. "Our galleries are integrated, and we focused on finding things that had a resonance with our own collection and considered which items could be in conversation with each other." The Houston version includes pieces from the original Paris presentation plus several new selections unique to MFAH.

Curators Strauss and Gervais created a carefully curated wish list with specific MFAH galleries in mind, though practical considerations influenced their selections. Some of the more ornate creations required specific spatial considerations, while certain vintage pieces were deemed too delicate for international transport. However, in several instances, they successfully secured alternate looks from the same collections that were featured in the original "Louvre Couture" exhibition.

One of the exhibition's most innovative aspects is its extension into the Kinder buildings, where works will be installed alongside the museum's modern and contemporary collections. "That's another way our version is different from the Louvre," Strauss noted. Her favorite installation features a piece by Iris van Herpen, the Dutch fashion designer renowned for her innovative use of technological techniques in haute couture. This piece will be displayed alongside digitally hand-made works in the design galleries, creating a perfect thematic match.

Gervais particularly championed the pairing of a 17th-century Dutch delft ceramic piece—designed in blue and white to showcase cut tulips—with a complementary blue and white John Galliano dress for Christian Dior. This thoughtful juxtaposition exemplifies the exhibition's central concept of creating meaningful dialogues between fashion and art across different time periods.

"This is not just a standalone fashion show in the galleries," Strauss emphasized. "The premise is that the clothing speaks to art history, and art history speaks to the clothing." The integrated approach allows visitors to encounter fashion pieces throughout their museum experience, whether they come specifically for fashion or are simply exploring the permanent collection. "To have the show threaded through our permanent galleries allows people to appreciate art mediums in a wholly different way," Strauss added. "I know it made me look at each individual dress differently."

The exhibition promises to appeal to both fashion enthusiasts and general museum visitors, as the pieces will be encountered throughout the museum's galleries rather than confined to a single exhibition space. Maps will be provided to help visitors navigate the journey and locate all 35 fashion pieces distributed across the campus. This innovative presentation method transforms the traditional exhibition format into an immersive experience that encourages visitors to see both fashion and fine art through new perspectives.