Art Basel Paris Partners With Leading Fashion Personalities

PARIS – Art Basel is partnering with two prominent fashion industry figures to curate public events at its upcoming fair in Paris, as it continues to broaden its reach amid a challenging art market.

The global platform has tapped French journalist and filmmaker Loïc Prigent to curate Oh La La!, its special initiative inviting galleries to present new works at their booths for two days during the event, which is set to run at the Grand Palais from Oct. 24 to 26.

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In parallel, British fashion editor Edward Enninful will oversee a full-day strand of Conversations 2025, Art Basel’s flagship talks program, marking the launch of his new media company EE72.

Taking place at the Petit Palais, across the road from the show venue, the talks will serve as a taster for his exhibition “The ‘90s,” scheduled for next year at the Tate Britain museum in London.

It’s all part of Art Basel chief executive officer Noah Horowitz’s ongoing efforts to tap new revenue streams by bringing the Art Basel brand to a wider audience, which includes expanding the scope of its partnerships with luxury brands.

“We’re really listening to our audiences. We’re closer and closer to our clients and customers and there’s new generations of art-loving audiences that are coming to art through luxury, through fashion,” he told WWD last year.

Louis Vuitton and Audemars Piguet are associate partners of the Paris fair, while Miu Miu is the official partner of the public program. Host partners include Guerlain.

Earlier this year, Zegna said it had struck a global multiyear partnership with Art Basel, with a presence across all four editions of the fair: Basel, Miami Beach, Paris and Hong Kong. In addition, Boss came on board to support the inaugural Art Basel Awards.

With all signs pointing to a deepening relationship between art and fashion, Prigent – known for documentaries including “Signé Chanel” and his YouTube channel – has been tasked with selecting the works that will feature in the rehanging initiative, which is being expanded following a successful pilot edition last year that drew 40 participating galleries.

Exhibitors are invited to bring out new works on the Friday and Saturday of the fair, in line with this year’s theme, “À la mode.” The idea is to create an engaging journey for members of the public attending the second half of the show week, following sessions reserved for VIPs and collectors.

“Fashion and art have always been deeply entwined, shaping and mirroring each other over time. Likewise, the concept of ‘trends’ has long sparked debate among critics and creators, leaving a lasting imprint on both fields. With ‘À la mode,’ visitors are invited to explore these intersections, tracing a conceptual thread across the Art Basel Paris 2025 show floor,” the fair’s organizers said in a statement.

“Style, the political and social meaning of garments, elegance, timelessness, dress as an expression of culture or identity, textile design, the role of avant-gardes in both art and fashion, and the elusive quality of chic are all potential areas of inspiration,” it added.

The list of participating artists and galleries will be revealed shortly before the beginning of the fair. Prigent will also collaborate with Airbnb, another partner of Art Basel Paris, to personally guide tours of the initiative, bookable via the Airbnb platform.

Enninful, co-founder and chief creative officer of the media and entertainment company EE72, will host one-to-one talks with leading personalities who shaped the 1990s: British artists Yinka Shonibare, Sonia Boyce and Mark Leckey, and German photographer Juergen Teller. The ticketed event on Oct. 24 is free to the public.

“These conversations are about more than nostalgia—they’re about tracing the roots of how we see and express ourselves today. The 1990s was a moment of change, and its energy is still very much alive. This project is about capturing that spirit and understanding its lasting impact,” Enninful said.

The former editor in chief of British Vogue, Enninful featured prominently in the Hulu docuseries “In Vogue: The ‘90s.”

The Tate exhibition, set for October 2026, will focus on the visual language of the decade, with a focus on subculture, rebellion, diversity, and innovation—from underground magazines to runways, clubs and galleries.

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