The name Jules François Crahay may not ring a bell, and yet… This Belgian is ‘one of the last geniuses of couture’. For the first time, and thanks to original research, the museum is devoting an exhibition to him. An opportunity to discover or rediscover this unfairly forgotten couturier.

Jules François Crahay began his career in Liège before making his mark in the Parisian world of haute couture. In 1959, his first collection for the Nina Ricci fashion house triggered a wave of praise and orders. The press compared him to Christian Dior. Subsequent collections confirmed his reputation as a master couturier, appreciated by Claudia Cardinale, Princess Paola and Jackie Kennedy. He joined the Maison Lanvin, where he created around 40 haute couture collections and more ready-to-wear garments.

The exhibition covers half a century of the history of the fashion system as well as tracing the career of this little-known Belgian couturier. Around sixty silhouettes, backed up by archives, revive his creative individuality and his independent thinking, which opened up new perspectives.