until Sunday June 07 2026
Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin
T : +49 30 266424242
Matthäikirchplatz
10785 Berlin
Germany
Coinciding with the donation from Berlin art collector Erika Hoffmann, the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) is presenting 20 selected garments and accessories spanning more than 20 years of Parisian fashion history.
Since the 19th century, Paris has provided designers with a platform to develop their creativity and showcase their collections to an international audience. The early 1980s were marked by optimism and bold opulence, expressed vividly through fashion. The era’s creative center was dominated by Manfred “Thierry” Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, whose designs shaped a new, strong, and confident image of women. Their styles featured broad shoulders, accentuated silhouettes, and striking materials and colors.
Parisian fashion has long inspired Erika Hoffmann, a collector and textile entrepreneur. Her professional and personal interests in contemporary fashion and art have placed her at the heart of artistic networks, with frequent visits to designers’ boutiques in the fashion capital. She donated 22 of the outfits she acquired to the Kunstgewerbemuseum, which is now presenting them publicly for the first time.
Alongside designs by de Castelbajac, Gaultier, and Yves Saint Laurent, the exhibition highlights early pieces by the young Thierry Mugler, who opened his first boutique in 1978 at Place des Victoires. Mugler envisioned women as “Glamazonen” – glamorous, self-confident Amazons. A notable example in the exhibition is a breastplate paired with a zippered skirt from his 1980 Spring/Summer Collection. During this period, Hoffmann acquired airy day dresses, striking jumpsuits, fashionable everyday wear, and statement-making evening attire by the emerging designer for each season.
