Shopping enthusiasts and Parisian history buffs alike, a major exhibition at the crossroads of your passions is about to be unveiled at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The institution takes you back to the Belle-Époque a time when the department stores that have become legendary today were born. This will be followed by the Cité de l’Architecture, which will present the rest of the exhibition in October.
Department stores in the spotlight for a major exhibition
True temples of French fashion and art de vivre, department stores are an integral part of Parisian and French heritage. La Samaritaine, Le Bon Marché, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps: all these emblematic names representing Parisian splendor are the fruit of a turbulent history through the decades.
Today, they’re in the spotlight thanks to a two-part exhibition that opened at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs on April 10 and runs until October 13. Then, on October 16, department stores will take center stage at the Cité de l’Architecture. This first chapter focuses on the beginnings of these budding shopping temples, from the 1850s to 1925. You’ll be able to discover costumes, toys, advertisements and a host of period items, representative of the consumer habits of the time.
Then, at the end of the year, the Cité de l’Architecture will take over, focusing on everything to do with heritage, in particular the architecture of certain department stores, which have become real emblems of the urban landscape.
A real opportunity to immerse yourself in the Paris of yesteryear, as you follow the history of these temples to fashion!
The birth of department stores – Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris and Cité de l’Architecture