Hottest Fashion Museums in Florence

Florence takes it place along the other cities famous for fashion - Milan, Paris, New York and London. And now they have the fashion museums to prove it.

If you are looking to explore another type of beauty - then you are looking for these museums which feature the fashion of the past, present and future. It has been centuries that Florence has reigned absolute in the world of fashion, starting with the wool and textile merchants, material dyers and felters - moving up with silk traders and cultural exchanges.

But these museums cover more than just the history of where the raw material came from - they tell a story, through the changes in skirt length, heel height and plunging collars.  Plan a visit to these halls, and take a stroll through time and innovation in the wonderful world of fashion.

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO MUSEUM

What to expect from the museum Salvatore Ferragamo?

For someone who has their head in the clouds of trending fashion, who follows next year’s colors, skirt length and heel heights, then it is simple, expect to delve into the “history of the company Ferragamo, to the life of its founder, Salvatore Ferragamo and his creations”. And thus, expect a state-of-the-art museum where the story of a family surrounded by cutting edge fashion grew with innovation, pushing boundaries like so many of Florence’s avant garde artists.

Ferragamo chose to settle in Florence thanks to it’s recognized centrality in the geography of taste and national style in a historic moment marked by many returns: return to order, to craft, to the great national tradition.

MUSEUM OF COSTUME AND FASHION

once known as Galleria del Costume at Palazzo Pitti

The itinerary within the museum outlines the history of fashion in the last few centuries. The collection includes court dresses and gowns, uniforms, high fashion, prêt-à-porter pieces, theatrical and cinematic scene costumes and also houses creations of the most famous fashion designers of the twentieth century, such as Valentino, Versace, Armani, Missoni and Saint Laurent.

...besides gathering and showcasing Italian fashion heritage and organizing two major exhibitions a year ... the goal of opening the doors for young designers and researchers interested in studying the clothes that made fashion history rather than those that are only well known because they were worn or owned by nobility or stars.

The museum houses a collection of clothing from the 16th century onwards, with a slight emphasis on Italian pieces and designers. Special pieces include the funeral clothes of famous Medici ruler Cosimo I and other royals. The combination of the splendid rooms of the palace with the decadent fragile clothing on display will transport you back in time and allow you to better appreciate the craftsmanship of each piece. Over 6,000 pieces of historic clothing and costumes are found in the archives and are switched out periodically to update the exhibits and protect the clothing from damage.

THE GUCCI MUSEUM

The House of Gucci has several projects in addition to its fashion collections and a main one resides in the renamed Palazzo Gucci in the heart of Florence, literal right to the side of Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria. While the museum was originally opened in 2011 to coincide with the fashion house's 90th anniversary, a few years later it was closed. Not sure exactly why, but it likely had to do with internal projects in expanding the cafe/bar into a full fledged restaurant and creating a boutique as well.

In any case, Palazzo Gucci today offers the reimagined museum to be a history of the fashion house, a cafe/bistro called Gucci Garden and the Gucci Osteria. The multi-starred Michelin chefs Massimo Bottura and Takahiko Kondo are at the helm as director and head chef, respectively, of the Osteria, which is only open with a tasting menu (reservations highly recommended). There is also a boutique and bookstore, with the boutique opening on appointment with the latest collections.

The original concept was an exhibition space for temporary shows of contemporary art and fashion together with a permanent display of gowns, luggage and more, both historical and contemporary pieces from the Gucci brand. Today it is more of a "museum of museums" — a succession of exhibition spaces where distinct worlds converge: a portrait gallery evokes themes of lineage and identity; the tapestry room highlights a form of Florentine artistry deeply connected to the Maison; a cabinet of curiosities displays artifacts from the archives; while the Maison’s savoir-faire and innovation are showcased in two other rooms, alongside cinematic spaces and interactive installations. Each setting has a distinctive atmosphere, guiding visitors through a sequence of narrative shifts that embody the Maison’s multifaceted identities.