Les Arts Décoratifs

Les Arts Décoratifs is a museum of decorative arts which was founded in 1882, in Paris. A group of collectors joined up with the wish to promote applied arts and to develop a link between industry and culture, design and production. Its motto has always been to promote the branch of art “which seeks to make useful things beautiful.” Its vast collection, the largest in France, is split into five sections – graphic arts, jewellery, toys, wallpaper, glassware – spanning from the Middle Ages to contemporary design. The objects in the collection represent techniques ranging from woodwork and ceramics to straw marquetry and embroidery. The museum’s collection of textiles and fashion is especially remarkable featuring designers like Madeleine Vionnet, Christian Lacroix, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent.