The Louvre has long been a stylish backdrop for the fashion world. Think of that mod icon Anna Karina sprinting through its halls in Bande à Part, or a crimson-clad Audrey Hepburn joyfully descending the Daru staircase in Funny Face. More recently, the Louvre has embraced the role of fashion host, inviting the likes of Ferragamo and Louis Vuitton onto its grounds. With “Louvre Couture. Art and Fashion: Statement Pieces” the museum is no longer just a chic setting but an actor in fashion history. This exhibition, the first on fashion curated by the Louvre, stages dynamic encounters between dress and art, while exploring the role of art history in the creative process of designers. Organized by Olivier Gabet, the show presents 100 looks and accessories from the 1960s to today in the museum’s department of Decorative Arts. This scenographic approach encourages free-range wandering of the body as well as the mind. —Lacey Minot