When the Musée des Arts Décoratifs was founded, it already owned a large textile collection (silks, embroideries, laces, printed fabrics) that has continued to grow ever since. In 1948, another institution – the Union Française des Arts du Costume (UFAC) – was set up by costume professionals on the initiative of historian François Boucher; under the guidance of Yvonne Deslandres, it grew to become one of the world’s leading collections, estimated at over 60,200 pieces. Headed by Pierre Bergé, the UFAC collection comprises costumes, accessories and textiles, together with a great many photographs and works of graphic art. In 1981, it was decided to combine the collections of the UFAC and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and as a result, the Musée des Arts de la Mode was inaugurated in 1986.
In 1997, under its new name – the Musée de la Mode et du Textile – it was incorporated into the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, becoming one of its principal departments. Today’s collection comprises over 152,800 pieces including costumes, accessories and textiles from the third century to the present day. The greatest names in fashion design are represented, with creations by Paul Poiret, Popy Moreni, Madeleine Vionnet, Christian Lacroix, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, among others. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs boasts the world’s largest fashion and textile exhibition space – over 1,500 m2 – which presents an average of two exhibitions a year.