Inviting visitors on a bright and colorful journey, the exhibition Au fil de l’or. L’art de se vêtir de l’Orient au Soleil-Levant (The Thread of Gold: The Art of Dressing from the Orient to the Land of the Rising Sun) combines artistic and scientific discoveries and traces the thousand-year history of gold in the textile arts.

The exhibition reveals the beauty, diversity, and richness of traditional garments from a vast region stretching from the Maghreb to Japan, including the Middle East, India, and China. What do these costumes have in common? Whether woven or embroidered with gold and richly adorned with bullion thread, sequins, and trimmings, they all tell the cultural story of their respective countries.

Gold, that mythical and prestigious metal, serves as both the central theme and narrative thread of the exhibition, which showcases a remarkable selection of garments, fashion accessories, and pieces of Haute Couture.

Through a journey among these exceptional outfits, the exhibition "In the Thread of Gold: The Art of Dressing from the Orient to the Land of the Rising Sun" also offers an opportunity to highlight the centuries-old expertise of the embroidery house Lesage, now part of Chanel’s Métiers d’Art, as well as the ancestral techniques of gold thread spinning. Visitors can also embark on “voyages into the heart of textiles” by exploring the intimate details of the materials through 3D digital microscopes.

The exhibition path is punctuated by stunning creations from Chinese designer Guo Pei, presented during Paris Fashion Week, and enriched by locally made designs, offering a dialogue between tradition and contemporary artistry.

This exhibition was on view at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac from February to July 2025. It is currently on view at the Chengdu Museum in China from November 29, 2025, to March 29, 2026.