We love Paris for the shopping, the street-style stalking and, of course, the simple things: Drinking wine and eating cheese at beautiful sidewalk cafes while indifferent but impossibly perfect French people blow smoke in our faces. That said, Paris is no slouch in the “culture” department either, and as of this week we have a big new (non-champagne-related) reason to visit the City of Lights—it will open its first permanent fashion museum in 2019. Technically, the Palais Galliera is already open and does tend to host fashion exhibits; however, this week the gallery announced (via WWD) that thanks to funding from Chanel, it will open a permanent gallery for fashion in just two years’ time. The new 7,211-square-foot space will be called the Salles Gabrielle Chanel and will offer an exploration of fashion history. The mayor of Paris issued a statement expressing gratitude to the iconic label for its financial contribution: “The City of Paris is proud to be able to open this exceptional space to Parisians and visitors from all over the world. I would like to thank the House of Chanel for proving once again that Paris is the home of fashion.” We aren’t sure the city’s status as the world’s fashion capital was ever in question, but we do confess that a permanent fashion museum (one sponsored by Chanel, no less) certainly can’t hurt Paris’ endless quest to become more iconic.
