Courrèges Exhibition Collaboration With Fondation Maeght & Peter Knapp
Courrèges is collaborating with the French art foundation – Fondation Maeght – and famous photographer, Peter Knapp, for a unique exhibition in Saint Paul de Vence.
From May 14th to November 1st, 2026, the Fondation Maeght will present its first thematic exhibition blending art and fashion, featuring a special exhibition curated by photographer Peter Knapp. A close friend of André Courrèges and the Maeght family, he lived through those years of modernity, capturing them in his studio, on the street, and even at the Fondation Maeght.
PETER KNAPP, THE ERA OF COURRÈGES May 14th – November 1st, 2026. From May to November, 2026, the Fondation Maeght presents its first thematic exhibition blending art and fashion, featuring a special exhibition curated by photographer Peter Knapp. A close friend of André Courrèges and the Maeght family, he lived through those years of modernity, capturing them in his studio, on the street, and even at the Fondation Maeght.
In 1965, André Courrèges presented his spring-summer haute couture collection. He developed a new vision of fashion, deliberately setting aside conventions to focus solely on the silhouette and architecture: miniskirts, white, structured forms… In this collection, he shaped the female silhouette according to rules that belong as much to architecture as to fashion. The modern woman was born; it was the explosion of the Courrèges style, “a style that is not merely an aesthetic vision but corresponds to a profound philosophy defining a way of life.”
Dubbed the “bombe Courrèges” (Courrèges bombshell) by the press, this collection was a revolution in the fashion universe. Peter Knapp was there to photograph it—with complete creative freedom! In the March 1965 issue of ELLE (No. 1002), the photographer presents this new Courrèges woman through an elliptical series, making his models appear to float, suspended in space. This series forms the heart of the exhibition, featuring four large prints completed by other series, archival materials, and outfits photographed by Knapp in 1965, generously loaned by the House of Courrèges.
Friendship is central to the Fondation Marguerite et Aimé Maeght. Indeed, when they established it, the couple envisioned it as a place where artists from all disciplines could come together. The first foundation in France dedicated to modern and contemporary art, inspired by major American foundations—Barnes, Guggenheim, Phillips—it was immediately recognized as a public benefit organization. This visionary project marked a true turning point for the art world: a private patron of culture and a modern building for modern art!
It was the context of the 1960s, a decade marked by major social revolutions often reflected in the arts and fashion, that the Foundation was inaugurated in 1964 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence (France) by André Malraux. Freedom was sweeping through every realm of creativity. 1965 also saw the arrival of the great American choreographer Merce Cunningham at the Fondation Maeght, as well as André Courrèges, who was captivated by the place and its collections! The women of the Maeght family were renowned for their elegance and were regulars at the fashion houses. Paule Maeght, daughter-in-law of Marguerite and Aimé, was among Mr. Courrèges’s closest friends.
Founded in 1961, the Courrèges fashion house revolutionized the world of couture and design. Movement, purity, color, light… these are all hallmarks of Courrèges’ style. André Courrèges was a visionary. His boldness constantly drove him to experiment. For twenty-five years, Peter Knapp was his most loyal ally, capturing better than anyone else the designer’s energy and originality. With its inherently optimistic spirit, the Courrèges fashion house has consistently shaken up every field it has ventured into. Since Nicolas Di Felice’s nomination in 2020 and Drew Henry’s arrival as Artistic Director in May 2026, the revival of this legendary brand has taken on a new, resolutely modern dimension, staying true to its original vision.
Peter Knapp first discovered the Fondation Maeght in 1978 during a photo shoot for a Courrèges brochure (featured in the exhibition as part of the archives), photographing models alongside Alberto Giacometti’s sculptures or in front of Ellsworth Kelly’s large painting. He then became friends with Adrien Maeght, who was two years his senior. Peter Knapp maintained a close relationship with the Maeght family for many years. In 2021, he curated the exhibition “Giacometti: A Family of Creators,” which brought together the five artists of the Giacometti family.
“As a child, I was struck by a photograph published in the American magazine Vogue: it showed Alberto Giacometti posing with his Femme debout sculptures.” Peter Knapp, foreword to the book Giacometti, La ressemblance impossible. Peter Knapp and Giorgio Soavi, Éditions André Sauret / Michel Trinckvel, 1991.
About the Fondation Maeght, The Fondation Marguerite et Aimé Maeght, inaugurated in 1964 by André Malraux, is the first foundation in France dedicated to modern and contemporary art; it is recognized as a public-interest organization by ministerial decree. Since 1982, Mr. Adrien Maeght, son of Marguerite and Aimé Maeght, has served as Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. The Board consists of 11 members, including representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the Directorate of Museums of France, and the Ministry of the Interior, as well as four members of the Maeght family and four qualified individuals. The Fondation Maeght has presented more than 150 exhibitions since its creation, in addition to regularly updating the displays of its permanent collection, which comprises more than 13,000 works. Director: Nicolas Gitton, since 2018. Director of Communications, Philanthropy, and Development: Frédéric Hubin Communications and Philanthropy Officer: Constance Wackenheim.
About Courrèges, Founded in 1961 by André and Coqueline Courrèges, the French House revolutionized the world of fashion and design. Bold, optimistic and full of energy, Courrèges has blazed a trail in every field where it has ever dared to venture. The revival of this legendary brand focuses on its mission of continually offering a growing range of innovative and modern designs, while building on the House heritage and codes.
All images Courrèges Exhibition Collaboration With Fondation Maeght & Peter Knapp by the brand. PR Agency Lucien Pages Communication.