MUSEO DEL TRAJE MADRID

The colorful collection, comprising everything from shoes to mantillas, draws on a fund of more than 21,000 items to trace the evolution of Spanish clothing and fashions from medieval times to the 20th century. The prize exhibit is the 13^th century trousseau of the Infanta Maria, daughter of Ferdinand III. Here you can observe the transition from the fashions of the Enlightenment, which catered exclusively for the aristocracy, to those of a more democratic, utilitarian age. The museum displays costumes designed by some of the great Spanish 20^th century couturiers, including Mariano Fortuny and Cristobal Balenciaga, a Basque who went on to take the Parisian fashion world by storm. The museum hopes to acquire items from Queen Sophia's wardrobe from the 1960s and 70s and will feature the work of contemporary designers.