Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising

Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising Colorado State University's museum of historic fashion and textiles where threads of the past weave the future.

📍Fort Collins, Colorado

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■The collections are comprised of some 20,000 artifacts including 19th and 20th century garments and accessories, flat textiles, and non-Western dress with special interests in Central Asia, India, China and Japan.

■Special collections include designer dresses from Calvin Klein, Arnold Scaasi, James Galanos, Carolina Herrera and Mr. Blackwell, self-proclaimed arbiter of fashion and author of

the annual Worst-Dressed List.

■ Located in the University Center for the Arts (UCA), the Avenir Museum public spaces presently includes a gallery with an established schedule of exhibits. Lectures are held in conjunction with each exhibit. Significantly expanded exhibition galleries and collections care areas, in a new building adjacent to the UCA opened in 2017.

08/26/2026

Kimono Matters: Materiality and Making is now on view! 👘🚨

A sumptuous polychrome weave, the exacting measure of an skilled artisan, a meandering watercolor landscape.

The kimono is an iconic sartorial symbol of Japan worn across genders and ages. Highlighting six textile techniques, Kimono Matters: Materiality and Making draws new accessions together with the Maxson Kimono Collection.

Last exhibited 32 years ago, this exhibition revisits the Maxson collection with a new perspective, asserting the importance of kimono study today, and underscoring how the matter and materiality of kimonos have shaped their place in fashion history.

Kimono Matters: Materiality and Making

August 18 - December 19, 2026

Free and open to all.

On view now at the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising.

Kinda chic to visit the Avenir Museum😉The Avenir Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturd...
08/07/2026

Kinda chic to visit the Avenir Museum😉

The Avenir Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Plan your visit the next time you need a little "chic" in your day!

in 1876, Colorado became the 38th state to join the union!🌄⭐And with the addition of the new state, a 38th star was ad...
08/01/2026

in 1876, Colorado became the 38th state to join the union!🌄

⭐And with the addition of the new state, a 38th star was added to the flag. This linen and cotton American flag, on loan to Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising from the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art at Colorado State University, was produced between 1876 and 1889 and features 38 stars to commemorate Colorado being granted statehood.

Stop by the Avenir Museum today until 4 p.m. to view this piece of Colorado and American history in our current exhibition “imagiNation: Fashioning a Nation, 1776-2026.”

Pictured: 38 Star Flag, 1876-1889, Linen and Cotton, Gregory Allicar Museum of Art, CSU, gift of Larry Hartford and Torleif Tandstad, 2016.13.44

07/25/2026

We are experiencing ongoing maintenance.

The Avenir Museum will be open today (7/25/2026) with limited hours from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Check back soon for information regarding next week's open hours.

Thank you for your understanding and patience!

07/17/2026

A bodice from 1859. A Chinese cloud collar. An ankle rattle from Eswatini.

These seemingly disparate objects are all on view in our current exhibition “The Fashion ‘Bug’: Insects In and On Our Cloth.” The exhibition is nearing the end of its run, but you still have 15 days to view this collaborative project between the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising and the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity!

Thanks to our friends at Barnfly Productions for this beautiful video that offers a small glimpse into this exhibition. Plan your visit to the Avenir Museum today!

C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity
John Barnhardt

The Avenir Museum needs your support! 🫵 🔍💎Visitors often describe the Avenir Museum as a “hidden gem.” But we don’t want...
07/15/2026

The Avenir Museum needs your support! 🫵

🔍💎Visitors often describe the Avenir Museum as a “hidden gem.” But we don’t want to be hidden....we just want to be a gem!

🏆The voting period for NOCO Style’s annual “Best of NoCo” competition is now live! This contest allows the community to cast votes for their favorite people, places, and businesses in the area and recognizes the best of the best in our region. Earning a spot on the ballot for this local competition would help increase awareness of the Avenir Museum throughout Northern Colorado!

We need 50 write-in votes in order to secure a spot on the ballot. Can we count on you to write-in the Avenir Museum for the Museum category? Follow these simple steps:

1️⃣ Click the link to be taken to the NoCo Style voting page for the Museum category 🔗 https://col.st/cbqx1
2️⃣ Write-in your vote for the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising (you will be prompted to create an account or login by providing your email!)

Voting is open now through September 1. Stay tuned as we continue sharing content from our collection, exhibitions, and programs to show you why the Avenir Museum deserves your vote as the Best Museum of Northern Colorado 2026!

07/10/2026

We are still “buzzing” from our Bug Party! 🐛🐜🪲🐞🦗🪳

Thanks to all our beetle besties, insect enthusiasts, and arthropod ambassadors for joining us to celebrate International Bug Week and our current exhibition “The Fashion Bug: Insects In and On Our Cloth.”

Bug Party attendees enjoyed talking with local and regional insect organizations, meeting new insect friends, stamp printing bug-themed handkerchiefs, enjoyed tours from the curator, clay beetle giveaways, scavenger hunts, bug-lollies, and more. To everyone who attended this event— thank you!

“The Fashion Bug: Insects In and On Our Cloth” is on view at the Avenir Museum through August 1. This exhibition, developed in collaboration with CSU’s C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity explores insect material and inspiration in textiles and clothing. Stop by today, or make plans to see this exhibition before it closes!

C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity
Butterfly Pavilion
CSU Entomology Club
CSU Extension
NoCo Wildlife Center
Senett Smith

How many flags can you find? 👀✨Multiple American flags can be found hiding in plain sight in our current exhibition “ima...
07/01/2026

How many flags can you find? 👀✨

Multiple American flags can be found hiding in plain sight in our current exhibition “imagiNation: Fashioning a National, 1776 - 2026.” Stop by to explore the exhibition and see how many you can spot!

This exhibition prompt is great for:

🎆Challenging yourself to slow down
🎆Taking time to look at the details of each object
🎆Guiding younger visitors through the exhibition

Plan your visit to see this exhibition today! The Avenir Museum is open from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. today (July 1) and tomorrow (July 2).

How much time have you spent styling your outfits for the 4th of July weekend? Did you know that by dressing up in patri...
06/30/2026

How much time have you spent styling your outfits for the 4th of July weekend?

Did you know that by dressing up in patriotic clothing, you are participating in a 250-year old tradition? Celebrating America has always included fashion and textiles!

Our current exhibition “imagiNation: Fashioning a Nation, 1776 - 2026” explores how fashion and textiles have functioned as vehicles for national identity, commemoration, and nostalgia throughout American history. Enjoy these opening lines from the exhibition, and make plans to visit us this week before the holiday closure:

“In 1776, Americans imagined themselves as a nation. Stitching together concepts from the fabric of imperial European and Indigenous cultures, Americans wove themselves not just a new democratic government, but a culture of independence.

Americans wore this declaration on their sleeve. Cut off from British exports, Revolutionaries rejected continental silks and fineries in favor of humble homespun cloth. Born out of necessity, this new national style came to symbolize freedom.”

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

imagiNation: Fashioning a Nation, 1776 - 2026
On view now through December 19, 2026
Avenir Museum, 216 E. Lake Street
Fort Collins, Colorado

This week’s hours:
Tuesday, June 30, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Wednesday, July 1, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Thursday, July 2, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday, July 3, closed
Saturday, July 4, closed

Address

216 E Lake Street
Fort Collins, CO
80523

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(970) 491-1983

Website

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