Celebrating fashion in all its forms

If you find yourself in any of the world’s fashion capitals this year, why not take in an exhibition or two? Here are five must-visit fashion showcases.

Women Fashion Power exhibition at Design Museum in London. Mirren Rosie

1. Women Fashion Power

Until April 26

Design Museum, London

If you’ve ever had any doubts about the potency of fashion, head to London’s Design Museum and spend an hour or so wandering around the Women Fashion Power exhibit. Designed by the architect Zaha Hadid, the exhibition looks at how princesses, models, CEOs, dames and designers have all used fashion as a tool for self-expression and self-empowerment. Touted as “the most wide-ranging presentation of modern fashion ever to be shown in the United Kingdom”, the exhibition offers an immersive multi-media journey, with historic items of clothing donated by 27 iconic women, including Lady Gaga, Diane von Furstenberg, Vivienne Westwood, Princess Charlene of Monaco, the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and journalist Kirsty Wark.

2. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

March 14 to August 2

V&A, London

If you are anywhere near London this spring, make a point of visiting the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition at the V&A. Interest in the exhibition is so high that organisers have already extended it by two weeks and issued an additional 50,000 tickets. It is the first and largest retrospective of McQueen’s work to be presented in Europe and will showcase the late designer’s creations in all their glory. Starting from his 1992 MA graduate collection and ending with his unfinished autumn/winter 2010 collection, McQueen’s designs will be presented with the same dramatic staging that is so synonymous with his own catwalk shows. This is one not to be missed.

3. Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning the 70s

Until April 18

The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York

Take a trip down memory lane with this nostalgic exhibition, which celebrates the two men who defined fashion in the 1970s. This is the first event to juxtapose the work of these two iconic designers. With a showcase of around 80 outfits and 20 accessories, it explores how they dealt with similar themes and aesthetic visions during the course of their careers, even though history views them as diametrically opposed in their approaches – Saint Laurent was viewed as a colourist who brought a sense of drama to his clothes, while Halston was seen as a master of modernism and minimalism. It is also a reminder of the momentous changes that fashion underwent in the 1970s, in terms of how clothes not only looked, but were designed, made, viewed and worn.

4. Bellissima. Italy and High Fashion 1945 - 1968

Until May 3

MAXXI, Rome

For an insight into the ever-changing image of Italian fashion during a key period in history, visit this evocative exhibition in Rome. It offers an invaluable look at the forces that gave shape to the “Made in Italy” label, which still holds such sway. This exhibition offers a far-reaching exploration of the fashions of the time – from spectacular gowns and cocktail dresses, the rigorous monochromatic aesthetic and then chromatic exuberance of the 1960s, and the intense collaborations between the couturiers and artists of the time. The event, which is sponsored by Bvlgari, also features a selection of exquisite pieces by the famed Italian jewellery house.

5. The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier. From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk

Grand Palais, Paris

April 1 to August 3

This retrospective of Gaultier’s career has already wowed over a million people on a world tour that has visited the United States, the UK, Canada and Australia. The exhibition will make its 10th stop in Paris and is well worth a visit. The multimedia showcase features sketches, stage costumes and footage from films, fashion shows, concerts and television shows, as well as mind-boggling creations from the designer’s haute-couture and prêt-à-porter collections, spanning 1970 to 2013.