The Louvre as you’ve never known it” might seem like a lofty promise, and yet, from the moment you arrive, it feels utterly plausible. Gone is the singular rush toward the Mona Lisa, replaced by corridors lined with ancient statues, where a discreet sign points toward less-visited galleries. 

All around, placards announce an installation bearing a deceptively simple title – Louvre Couture. Fifteen years in the making, curators and designers worked hand in hand to mount this impressive undertaking, presenting an enticing invitation to get lost and make discoveries in rooms one might never have known existed.

The president-director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, describes the exhibition as an “exposition d’auteur” with a specific point of view – a continuity to the flow of fashion, arts and taste throughout the ages. The show, laid out across more than 9,000 square metres, offers a conversation between the old and the new, weaving a tapestry of style and history through creative expression. Instead of mere side-by-side comparisons, the curators have designed a fluid environment in which objects, garments, and spaces engage in conversation. 

Painted faces in gilt frames, sumptuous furniture adorned with gold leaf, and innovative fashion pieces all coexist. The display follows no strict chronological path. Rather, it invites a thoughtful meander, revealing unexpected connections at every turn.

The first expansive gallery sets the tone – an almost punk collision of haute couture and ancient décor.

In the Napoléon III Salons, every surface gleams with decadence. Frescoes swirl overhead, conjuring cherubs and clouds, red velvet drapes the walls, and gilded chandeliers dangle precariously, lit by what looks to be hundreds of tiny bulbs. Nothing is “too much” for the foregone Empire.

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At the very centre of this opulent setting stands a mannequin wearing designer Iris Van Herpen’s Sintopia dress from her Autumn/Winter 2018 collection, a hypnotising marvel of translucent layers. Hand-stitched, creating a mirage of movement, the chandeliers’ glow seems to refract gold and silver in soft waves across the garment, as a silent dialogue between the old-world magnificence and Van Herpen’s futuristic artistry can still be understood. This forms a respectful dance between two masterful crafts, centuries apart, yet speaking the same language of exceptional beauty and precise detail. 

Stepping through an adjacent door, the lights grow dimmer, unveiling a portal into a chamber draped in monumental tapestries. These intricate scenes, woven with gold and silver threads, react to every movement of air, seeming to breathe as visitors pass. 

Made for Charles V, they depict regal hunts, courtly gatherings, and biblical scenes crafted with metallic yarns that catch even the slightest shine of light. It’s clear why designers like Marine Serre and Maria Grazia Chiuri find such pieces so compelling. 

Through subtle references or direct replication of tapestry motifs, their own creations pay homage to the medieval imagination. A Dries Van Noten jacket, whose embroidered flowers echo the patterns in a 15^th-century tapestry, can be spotted from a distance, metabolising his inspirations into clothing. 

From textiles to steel, the transition is abrupt. Stepping into the Armoury, rows of polished helmets, breastplates, and chain mail stand proudly. Among these relics sits Thierry Mugler’s legendary corset from his Autumn/Winter 1995 collection. The bustier glints with diamonds, and two articulated hands curve around its sides. The effect is brash, alien, and unabashedly theatrical. Nearby, Balenciaga’s armour frock from Autumn/Winter 2023 by Demna stands sentinel. Its glowing façade hints at futuristic warriors and circles back to the historical suit of steel, standing proudly next to it. The effect is that of a strange family reunion, as if these protective shells across time are engaged in quiet communion. The traditional armour might be battered by real battles, while the new ones fight a cultural war, defying norms on runways.

Further along, another hall plays host to Gothic and Byzantine art. Here, creations by Rabih Kayrouz and Yves Saint Laurent find their pride of place. However, it’s the sighting of one of Daniel Roseberry’s Schiaparelli gowns that seems to cause the world to stop. A simple black crepe silhouette, it is crowned by a gleaming brass head that emerges from the bodice like a character from Dante’s infernal visions. Perfectly on-brand through absurd, erudite references, the design is placed as a modern memento mori, bridging the intellectual flamboyance of Surrealism with the Louvre’s weighty historical significance.

As the exhibition continues, a question becomes more persistent: How do we engage with the past in the present? This becomes especially evident when you arrive at a section showcasing the opulent Manteaux du Saint-Esprit. These heavily embroidered coats once adorned powerful men in 18^th-century France. Now, between these garments resides a provocative alternative from Balmain by Olivier Rousteing – form-fitting, seductive, undeniably new-age. The tension is palpable – sacred and profane, reverent and cheeky. On one side, the pure masculine luxury of the old French elite; on the other, a fresh, feminine statement that redefines what “power dressing” can mean.

In a similarly audacious twist, JW Anderson’s pigeon clutch from his Autumn/Winter 2022 collection perches under a 13^th-century Eucharistic dove from Limoges. The museum label explains that the latter once held sacred communion wafers, while the former is a whimsical nod to modern urban life. The two avian containers bridge a spiritual context and a playful, contemporary angle, perhaps suggesting that even the holiest vessels can share a lineage with everyday creativity.

In the end, Louvre Couture accomplishes something rare and remarkable – it breathes new life into the ancient halls of the world’s most celebrated museum, transforming familiar spaces into arenas of unexpected exchange. Until July 21, the Louvre invites visitors to reconsider history not as a linear progression, but as an ongoing, vibrant conversation that resonates through time. Each ensemble, artefact, and wing whispers of shared inspirations, echoing back and forth across time. 

Far from diminishing revered collections, these bold pairings illuminate them in new ways, challenging assumptions and igniting curiosity. It is an open invitation to see art and fashion anew, proving again that the Louvre is endlessly capable of surprising and enchanting the world.

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