From 26 to 31 May 2026, sixty-five French luxury houses will open their treasure trunks at The Shed in New York to celebrate 250 years of transatlantic relations.
In New York, the exhibition Hidden Treasures celebrates 250 years of transatlantic ties by inviting iconic French luxury houses to open their treasure chests, unveiling jewellery, archives and legendary gowns. On this occasion, Air France is revealing a previously unseen work of art, never before exhibited in its own right, despite having crossed the Atlantic for more than twenty years.
From 26 to 31 May 2026, the venerable Comité Colbert, guardian of French luxury since 1954, will take over the glass-roofed spaces of New York cultural centre The Shed with the exhibition Hidden Treasures. Each house has been given a shipping crate transformed into a cabinet of curiosities in its own style. Behind the wooden walls: one object, one story — a precise moment in the Franco-American dialogue.
An archipelago of stories
At the centre of the gallery, the trunks create an unexpected geography. Here, a Baccarat crystal clock designed in 1948 for the house’s first New York boutique, later gifted by Arthur Miller to Marilyn Monroe. There, a Boucheron necklace set with 621 diamonds, commissioned in 1899 by Marie-Louise Mackay, the American heiress who came to Place Vendôme to spend her husband’s mining fortune.
Elsewhere, a miniature lunar module created by Cartier for the Apollo 11 astronauts, financed through a subscription campaign by readers of French magazine Le Figaro. Sixty-five crates, each opening onto a different branch of both small and great history.
Five chapters, one thread
The exhibition follows a loose chronology in five acts, from foundational encounters to today’s creative resonances. The reciprocity is striking. French houses did not simply export their craftsmanship; they also interpreted American desires, adapted their forms and absorbed new codes.
When New York celebrated the arrival of the Statue of Liberty in 1885 — the sculpture by Bartholdi and Eiffel offered by France to the young Republic — it was Krug champagne that was served at the banquet.
A painting in flight
The French art de vivre also found its way into the pressurised cabins of Air France’s Boeing 747s. In 1971, Zao Wou-Ki created an abstract composition for Air France, intended for the wardrobe doors in the La Première cabin. The work was printed onto a honeycomb panel and installed behind the retractable cinema screen at the front of the cabin.
For more than twenty years, the painting accompanied passengers on transatlantic routes, rescued at the last moment before the aircraft was dismantled. Never previously exhibited as a standalone artwork, long absorbed into the décor, it is finally receiving the spotlight it deserves.
Presented in Chapter 2 of the exhibition, 'Crossing Oceans: the Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel and the Circulation of People, Ideas and Luxury Goods', the piece perfectly embodies the connection between travel, creativity and cultural exchange.
Luxury as soft power
French luxury has always been as much a diplomatic instrument as a commercial enterprise. Benjamin Franklin brought back medals from the Monnaie de Paris. French-speaking Jackie Kennedy wore Givenchy at the Élysée Palace, when she was not receiving an S.T. Dupont lighter from André Malraux himself.
Yet the exhibition goes beyond a simple compilation of archives, fascinating though they may be. Recent collaborations — such as Bernardaud porcelain reinvented with Jeff Koons or the Longchamp bag redesigned by Jeremy Scott — are reminders that this dialogue is still being written.
The exhibition is expected to travel, and the same shipping crates may soon open in Miami, Chicago or Atlanta.
Hidden Treasures26–31 May 2026
The Tisch Skylights at The Shed
545 W 30th St
New York
United States
