The virtual museum is staging its second-ever physical exhibition in Tokyo, presenting an eclectic trove of historical clothing.
Shibuya is getting ready to time-travel through fashion history thanks to LA MUSEUM’s latest archival exhibition. The virtual museum’s second physical show runs from June 14 to 29 in Tokyo and offers the public free access via the LA MUSEUM app to a curated trove of fashion artifacts spanning the 1950s to 2010s.
LA MUSEUM SHIBUYA is curating nothing less than a time capsule of late-20th-century style, spanning from the punk provocations of Vivienne Westwood’s London to the avant-garde visions born in 1980s Tokyo. It brings together rare pieces by Japan’s design icons like Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake alongside trailblazing works by Helmut Lang, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen – all under one roof.
One headlining attraction is a sprawling 215-photograph installation by Maison Margiela, a rarely seen work originally unveiled at Paris’s Grand Palais in 2006. The exhibition also features Margiela’s early collections from 1989 through 1999, along with behind-the-scenes artifacts like design sketchbooks and a video installation first presented at Lafayette Anticipations in Paris in 2021, giving visitors an intimate glimpse into the creative process.
The shift from an invite-only 30-person guest list to an open-door policy signals LA MUSEUM’s push to make fashion history accessible beyond the inner circle. For the style-conscious public, it’s a rare chance to engage with archival masterpieces up close in the heart of Tokyo.
