Girls. Adolescence, mode et rébellion

Age of metamorphoses and of all contradictions, adolescence continues to feed our imagination. Discover how artists, fashion designers, photographers, and filmmakers explore and reinvent representations of the figure of the young girl. Long reduced to a few clichés, confined to images of tenderness, innocence, or fragility, the figure of the young girl has rarely been considered for its emotional, psychological, or political depth. Yet her universe is teeming with symbols and unsuspected strengths.

Gathering together works of art, clothing, accessories, photographs, film excerpts, archives, and everyday objects, the exhibition Girls. Adolescence, fashion and rebellion at the Grand Palais brings together the perspectives of multidisciplinary artists and shows that feminine adolescence remains a significant source of inspiration for contemporary creation. From Louise Bourgeois to Sofia Coppola, from Martin Margiela to Simone Rocha or Jenny Fax, the works explore the multiple facets of being a girl and challenge the rigid conception that Western art has long imposed on them.

Tight or liberating clothing, subverted archetypes, memories of boredom or daydreams, images circulated by magazines: across five thematic sections, the itinerary explores the multiple representations of feminine adolescence and shows how they have evolved over time.

Designed in dialogue with teenage girls and boys, in an inclusive approach open to the full diversity of genders and LGBTQIA+ people, the exhibition Girls. Adolescence, fashion and rebellion invites you to view this period of life and the representations that continue to shape our imagination.

This exhibition was designed and organized by MoMu - the Antwerp Fashion Museum (September 27, 2025 – February 1, 2026) and adapted for the Grand Palais RMN.

Curators: Elisa De Wyngaert, art and fashion historian and curator at MoMu – the Antwerp Fashion Museum.

Scenography: Janina Pedan and Agence Scenografia (Nicolas Groult, Valentina Dodi, Lucie Le Goff).