In 1981, the election of the left-wing president François Mitterrand marked the beginning of a decade of prosperity for the French nation. The designers Jean Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler rocketed to stardom, along with the furniture designers Olivier Gagnère, Philippe Starck, and Mattia Bonetti. In a show that celebrates 14 years of Mitterrand’s administration, 700 objects speak to the liberalization of audio-visual communication and graphic design; hip-hop, post-punk, and new wave music; and France’s fight against AIDS. —Elena Clavarino