Worth at the Petit Palais: Couture’s First Chapter

From May 7 to September 7, 2025, the Petit Palais hosted Worth: Inventing Haute Couture in Paris, a stunning homage to Charles Frederick Worth — the visionary tailor often dubbed the Father of Haute Couture.

This exhibition offered a rare window into the birth of couture — a delicate, historic treasure trove that was on show for just one summer.

Spread across 1,100 m² of the museum’s grand galleries, the exhibition gathered over 400 works — nearly 80 rare garments, along with accessories, paintings, objects, and graphics that trace Worth’s enduring influence.

Many of these pieces, delicate and century-old, are unlikely to be displayed again — making this a rare, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime chance to have seen them up close.

The show went beyond beautiful gowns — though the dresses alone, with their sculpted silhouettes, lavish embroidery, and luxurious fabrics, are breathtaking!

It even delved into Worth’s revolutionary business model: introducing designer labels, seasonal collections, and the modern couture salon.

A standout in the exhibition was the emerald-green satin and blue cut-velvet tea gown, originally designed for the Comtesse Greffulhe. Known for her lavish taste and social influence, the Comtesse used fashion as a tool of prominence—this particular gown is rumored to be the last time it will ever be displayed, because of its fragility and ornate craftsmanship.

The gown’s fabric is especially fascinating: the green and blue satin is overlaid with cut velvet, a technique that played with color and texture in truly sumptuous ways. Worth’s clientele expected—and received—maximum drama in every detail, and this tea gown is a perfect example.

So if you pause at the exhibition poster and catch a glimpse of that dress—you’re looking at a piece of fashion history that may not return to view again.

This exhibition was perfect for fashion lovers (and Paris wanderers alike - after all, an afternoon spent wondering around the gorgeous Petit Palais is in itself, totally "worth" it).

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