Fashion in Focus - Exhibitions 2026 at the Textile Museum St. Gallen
28.01.2026 | from Textile Museum St. Gallen
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Image rights: Textilmuseum St.Gallen
28.01.2026, The Textile Museum St. Gallen dedicates itself in 2026 to fashion and its multifaceted cultural, societal, and economic dimensions. Through three exhibitions, the museum spans a bridge from historical and contemporary fashion photography, to social documentary industry portraits, and to the question of conscious clothing collection.
At the heart of the program is the exhibition 'Mise en Scène. Fashion Photography from the Belle Époque to Today', which will open on 3 July 2026 and be on display until the end of February 2027. Concurrently, the museum will present the photographic series 'Portrait of a Swiss Company' by Barbara Davatz in its lounge. Until 25 May 2026, the exhibition 'Collecting Fashion. From T-Shirts to Haute Couture' complements the thematic trilogy.
Mise en Scène: Fashion Photography from the Belle Époque to Today 03.07.2026 – End of February 2027 The exhibition 'Mise en Scène' connects international photo art with regional textile industry, highlighting more than 120 years of fashion, photography, and social history. It focuses on Swiss textiles that have been used in couture for decades and are still present on international runways and in fashion magazines today.
Fashion photographs convey not only garments but also body images, roles, and societal ideals: from the liberated silhouette of the 1920s to the glamorous femininity of the post-war period and the confident, diverse depictions of the present. Fashion photography thus becomes a mirror of societal changes – and at the same time, a showcase of an internationally connected Swiss textile industry.
The exhibition gathers works from renowned photographers and studios such as Frères Seeberger, Atelier d’Ora / Arthur Benda, Helmut Newton, Peter Knapp, Jeanloup Sieff, and Iwan Baan. Complemented by textiles and fashion from Forster Rohner, Jakob Schlaepfer, Akris, and other Swiss companies, a multi-layered dialogue between international photo art and Eastern Swiss textile tradition emerges.
Portrait of a Swiss Company: A Photo Series by Barbara Davatz 05.06.2026 – End of February 2027 In 1972, Barbara Davatz photographed the entire workforce of Walser AG, a textile printing and twisting company in Zürchersmühle (AR). She portrayed 38 men and women, noting each person's name, date of birth, nationality, and occupation. The result is a complex photographic work that in its calm, unsentimental objectivity, demonstrates social commitment, openness, and engagement.
The series is often read in the context of the migration policy debates of the early 1970s, especially the so-called Schwarzenbach initiative, but its significance extends far beyond that. Today, the portraits are considered a striking testament to a bygone working world and as a reflective contribution to questions of identity, belonging, and humanity.
Collecting Fashion: From T- Shirts to Haute Couture Until 25.05.2026 The exhibition 'Collecting Fashion' offers insights into four private collections as well as the collection of the Textile Museum St. Gallen. Iconic T-shirts, finely tailored men's suits, extravagant evening gowns, historical lingerie, and unique historical textile artifacts illustrate how clothing can unfold new meanings beyond the fast-paced trends – as a repository of knowledge, a source of inspiration, or a personal memento.
The exhibition contrasts thoughtless consumption of fast fashion with conscious collecting as a cultural practice and invites reflection on value, durability, and responsibility in handling fashion.
Textile Museum St. Gallen
Vadianstrasse 2
9000 St. Gallen
Switzerland
info@textilmuseum.ch
www.textilmuseum.ch
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Textile Museum St. Gallen
The collections of the Textile Museum and the Textile Library St. Gallen trace their origins back to the second half of the 19th century and are part of the tradition of trade museums and sample collections, which were founded throughout Europe at that time.
They were intended to serve the industry as inspiration and models for their own production and to cultivate 'good taste'. In 1863, the Commercial Directorate – the association of St. Gallen merchants – began purposefully collecting sample templates from around the world for local producers and systematically expanded the existing stock. The museum was founded in 1878.
Over time, the collection has been expanded through acquisitions, and especially through donations of significant private collections and archives from the textile industry. The collecting activities of the manufacturer family Iklé have been of utmost importance. The institution remains committed to its founding idea of being a source of inspiration for designers and creators.
Note: The "About Us" text is taken from public sources or from the company profile on HELP.ch.
Source: Textile Museum St. Gallen, Press release
Original article published on: Mode im Fokus - Ausstellungen 2026 im Textilmuseum St.Gallen