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 visionof 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 asmuch 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 thefashion universe. Peter Knapp was there to photograph it—with complete creative freedom! In the March 1965issue 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, featuringfour 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 coupleenvisioned it as a place where artists from all disciplines could come together. The first foundation in Francededicated 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 trueturning 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 andfashion, 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 Americanchoreographer Merce Cunningham at the Fondation Maeght, as well as André Courrèges, who was captivatedby the place and its collections! The women of the Maeght family were renowned for their elegance andwere 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 boldnessconstantly drove him to experiment. For twenty-five years, Peter Knapp was his most loyal ally, capturing betterthan anyone else the designer’s energy and originality. With its inherently optimistic spirit, the Courrègesfashion house has consistently shaken up every field it has ventured into. Since Nicolas Di Felice’s nominationin 2020 and Drew Henry’s arrival as Artistic Director in May 2026, the revival of this legendary brand has takenon 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’ssculptures or in front of Ellsworth Kelly’s large painting. He then became friends with Adrien Maeght, who wastwo years his senior. Peter Knapp maintained a close relationship with the Maeght family for many years. In2021, he curated the exhibition “Giacometti: A Family of Creators,” which brought together the five artists ofthe Giacometti family.
“As a child, I was struck by a photograph published in the American magazine Vogue: it showed AlbertoGiacometti 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.
