Believe me, there are moments when I can't stand to see clothes anymore. Especially when I've been on the road for weeks and have seen full-time shows, I'm really just done with it for a while. That's why I decided at the beginning of my fashion career that the pattern of continuously looking at clothes needs to be broken from time to time. I made a promise to visit a museum at least once in every major fashion city. Just something different...
Sometimes it's also the combination of fashion and museum: in Paris, you have the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in the western wing of the Louvre where the greats of the earth like Marc Jacobs, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Christian Lacroix have exhibited their works. Keep an eye on the agenda, as the collection changes.
Another museum in Paris that everyone must visit (besides of course the Picasso museum in Le Marais) is the Musée du quai Branly located by the Seine. If you have little time, at least walk through the gardens and take a look at the building from the outside. It has beautiful shapes and colors, with a natural effect emphasized by a wall 200 meters long and 12 meters high that is covered with plants on the outside (in other words, a hanging garden). The museum was designed by my favorite architect Jean Nouvel. Inside, the building is just as striking, featuring art treasures from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Australia, among others.
In London, I always pop in - the permanent collection is free to access - at Tate Modern. Here you can indulge in leading international modern art. And here too, the building itself – a former power station – is a delight to visit.
Also worth a visit is the White Cube, the largest private art gallery in England. A super-modern gallery built in a former warehouse that always showcases leading works from artists like Damien Hirst and Gilbert & George.
And of course, the Saatchi Gallery should not be missed, which displays an enormous collection of contemporary visual art, collected by advertising man Charles Saatchi (you know, the one who grabbed Nigella Lawson by the neck during a dinner).
Make sure to visit MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art. This museum contains paintings and sculptures from the 20th century, but also films, photography, architecture, and design. On the fourth floor, you will find the crème de la crème in pop art: the Marilyn Monroes according to Warhol and the much-praised Campbell Soup paintings. As a Dutch person, you will be incredibly proud, as there is a lot of work on display from young Dutch artists in the design department. The architecture department is also interesting with works from Rem Koolhaas, Dudok, and Ben van Berkel.
In the Chelsea neighborhood, the best galleries have settled. Here, old warehouses and sheds have been transformed into spacious, light exhibition spaces where mainly modern works can be found. Don't expect cozy, polished streets, but an industrial area that is rapidly developing. This immediately explains why a large part of the New York art scene takes place here: relatively low rents and plenty of space. Criss Cross West 18th to 26th street between 10th and 11th Avenue. Just wander around and take a look.
