From Christian Dior to Karl Lagerfeld, five fashion exhibitions to catch this summer in the US and Europe

The "Christian Dior: le génie d'un créateur" exhibition runs until November 5 in Granville, France. Image: Courtesy of Musée Christian Dior

Whether you're packing your bags for Normandy or New York this summer, your vacation can be a time for relaxation and culture with a visit to one of the must-see fashion exhibitions of the moment in Europe and the USA. From Christian Dior to Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent and the late Mary Quant, who passed away in April, here's a world tour of museums celebrating designers who left a lasting mark on the fashion world.

"Christian Dior: Le génie d'un créateur," Granville, France

Granville in Normandy, France, is the setting of Christian Dior's childhood home, Villa Les Rhumbs, where a current exhibition celebrates the creative genius of the great French couturier. This retrospective looks back at the designer's work and visionary spirit through several themed sections, spread across the museum's different floors. From his childhood, a source of inspiration for many of his collections, to the fashion house's arrival on the global scene, plus career highlights -- from the famous New Look to fashion shows and boutique openings -- this exhibition provides an opportunity to get to know the history of the fashion house and (re)discover the life's work of its famous founder.

'Christian Dior: le génie d'un créateur', [Christian Dior: The Genius of a Designer] runs until November 5, 2023, at the Musée Christian Dior, Granville, France.

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"Yves Saint Laurent: Transparencies," Calais, France

Just a four-hour drive from Paris, the Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode is a museum for lace and fashion in Calais, on France's north coast. This year, it is devoting its summer exhibition to Yves Saint Laurent, and more specifically to the way in which the great French couturier revealed the female body, and played on its sensuality, through the use of transparency. Co-produced by the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris, the exhibition features some 60 garments, as well as accessories, drawings, photographs and videos. It shines the spotlight on some of the most emblematic looks created by one of the 20th century's most influential designers.

'Yves Saint Laurent: Transparencies' runs until November 12, 2023, at the Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode, Calais, France.

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"Mary Quant: Fashion Revolutionary," Glasgow, Scotland, UK

The British fashion designer Mary Quant, who died in April, is celebrated in a show at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum until October 22. This retrospective, which has toured internationally, looks back at the career highlights of the designer credited with inventing the miniskirt, or at least bringing it to the mainstream. The exhibition features around a hundred garments, accessories, cosmetics and photographs from the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British designer's archives and private collections. It's an opportunity to look back on her work, of course, but also on the fashion of the 1960s, embodying the cultural and societal changes of the era.

'Mary Quant: Fashion Revolutionary' runs until October 22, 2023, at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.

Also read: Fashion Week: Menswear gets a sensual slant for Spring-Summer24

"Andy Warhol: The Textiles," London, UK

London's Fashion and Textile Museum is exploring the textile creations of the 'pope of pop,' Andy Warhol, a little-known facet of the American artist's work. Visitors will discover no fewer than 45 textile motifs created by Andy Warhol in the 1950s and early 1960s, evoking an array of objects, each more colorful than the next, from ice cream to pretzels, cut lemons, clowns and candy apples. Visitors will be able to admire these prints in the form of fabrics or garments.

'Andy Warhol: The Textiles' runs until September 10, 2023, at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London, UK.

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"Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," New York, USA

There are only a few days left to catch this major retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, devoted to the late Karl Lagerfeld, who passed away in February 2019. The show is a tribute to the creative genius of the great couturier, as well as to his personality, featuring no fewer than 150 creations, accompanied by sketches by the designer. From his work methodology and creative process to his sketches and relationships with his closest collaborators, visitors will be able to explore many aspects of the late designer's work, whether at Balmain, Patou, Chloé, Fendi, Chanel or his own label.

'Karl Lagerfeld : A Line of Beauty' runs until July 16, 2023, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.