3 min read
Fashion month is no longer just about the clothes. From New York to Paris, the season’s best cultural happenings are spilling beyond the runway, with exhibitions, installations, and performances offering their own take on the ideas shaping fashion now. Here are the shows worth making time for during the spring/summer 2027 season.
“Penn & Fashion”
Irving Penn
Where: Maison Européenne de la Photographie; 5/7 Rue de Fourcy, Paris, France
When: September 30 to Jan. 17, 2027
Opening at the MEP in Paris, “Penn & Fashion” is a love letter to Irving Penn’s exacting, elegant vision. Unfolding chronologically from 1947 to 2008, the exhibition captures fashion in its most sculptural forms, from Dior and Balenciaga couture to Issey Miyake’s architectural garments and Chanel’s feathered fantasies. For a true fashion nerd, the exhibition is a can’t-miss—it features legendary photographs of Parisian couture masters, including Dior and Balenciaga, brought to life by era-defining models like Lisa Fonssagrives and Jean Patchett.
“The Impossible Couture Collection”
Courtesy of Fair Warning
Where: George F. Baker House; 67–69 East 93rd Street, New York
When: September 12 to 16
“The Impossible Couture Collection,” curated by Peter Brant Jr. and presented by the members-only auction app Fair Warning, assembles 23 rare pieces from Azzedine Alaïa, Schiaparelli, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, and Yves Saint Laurent at a Gilded Age carriage house on New York’s Upper East Side. A Galliano dress worn by Naomi Campbell joins McQueen’s “Plato’s Atlantis” Armadillo ensemble and shoes and Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic Mondrian dress in a collection that will be shown privately before going under the hammer through Fair Warning on September 17. For anyone who has ever wanted to see fashion history up close enough to count the seams, this is the one.
“Viktor&Rolf. Spectrum”
Viktor & Rolf
Where: 10 Corso Como Gallery; 10 Corso Como, Milan, Italy
When: September 25 to November 22
On September 25, the same day Demna presents his latest Gucci collection, a different kind of runway drama will go on view at 10 Corso Como in Milan. “Viktor&Rolf. Spectrum” marks the first Italian exhibition dedicated to the Dutch design duo, whose surreal, theatrical approach has transformed haute couture into a form of performance art. Spanning more than three decades of work, the exhibition considers the collections as artworks in their own right.
“Bauhaus Ballet”
Szilveszter Makó
Where: 29 W. 23rd Street, New York
When: September 8 to 12
If you’ve ever wanted to step inside a Szilveszter Makó photograph, his new immersive experience, “Bauhaus Ballet,” comes pretty close. Presented by The Cultivist and Capital One, the immersive New York exhibition unfolds across six rooms, bringing together Hungarian folklore, childhood memories, art and fashion history, and the everyday objects that have shaped the photographer’s visual language.
“Rafael Pavarotti. Photographer”
Rafael Pavarotti
Where: The Musée des Arts Décoratifs; 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
When: October 2 to May 2, 2027
Opening amid the bustle of Paris Fashion Week is “Rafael Pavarotti. Photographer,” a new exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The Brazilian photographer’s first French exhibition brings together more than 200 vivid, dreamlike images—from major fashion covers and campaigns to portraits of Rihanna, Harry Styles, and Beyoncé—tracing the personal histories, Amazonian landscapes, and Afro-Indigenous identity that shape his singular visual language.
“New York in Moncler”
Moncler
Where: Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall and across New York City; 89 E. 42nd St., New York
When: September 9 to 13
The runway is only one way to see New York Fashion Week. For five days, “New York in Moncler” will take over the city with a series of open-air photographs celebrating the brand’s most memorable New York moments, from Grand Central presentations to Sarah Jessica Parker’s famous puffer gown.
“Dalí e la Moda”
Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, Figueres, 2026
Where: Palazzo Reale di Milano; P.za del Duomo, 12, Milan, Italy
When: September 24 to Jan. 31, 2027
This Milan Fashion Week comes with a side of surrealist drama. Opening at Palazzo Reale on September 24, “Dalí e la Moda” examines Salvador Dalí’s relationship with fashion through more than 200 paintings, garments, photographs, and accessories, including the iconic Schiaparelli shoe-hat born from one of their most memorable collaborations.