Last weekend, the iconic Terminal Warehouse in Chelsea pulsed with a different kind of energy—one that blurred performance, fashion, and futurist storytelling. Miu Miu, never one to follow convention, unveiled its critically-acclaimed ‘Tales and Tellers’ exhibition in New York City with an electric cast of creatives and visionaries in tow.
The house transformed the historic venue into an immersive labyrinth where storytelling was anything but linear. Visionary artist Goshka Macuga—collaborating once again with Miu Miu—curated the installation with MACBA director Elvira Dyangani Ose. First staged in Paris, the exhibition has now landed stateside, reimagined for Manhattan’s art and fashion elite. The guest list shimmered with the likes of Sarah Paulson, Alexa Chung, Ella Emhoff, Paloma Elsesser, Cazzie David, and Cortisa Star—the brand’s breakout runway muse.
Inside, shadows danced and lights flickered across a dreamlike performance corridor. A secretary figure named “Jean” greeted attendees at a retro desk—the first of many conceptual characters guiding viewers through vignettes pulled from Miu Miu’s cult-favorite film series, Women’s Tales. But rather than relegate the short films to passive viewership, Macuga brought each woman—and her narrative—into physical space.
Every corner buzzed with theatrical chaos: a manic pixie in neon fur whispered poetry, a witch summoned spirits through song, and a downtown skater girl zoomed past an actress lamenting forgotten lines. Eighty performers, under the orchestration of opera director Fabio Cherstich, choreographed a seemingly spontaneous yet entirely calculated sensory symphony.
“There’s no fourth wall here,” Macuga explained. “We wanted viewers to feel like they were being chased by stories—seduced by fragments of memory, performance, and emotion”
What emerged wasn’t just a fashion installation, but a visceral reminder of how complex and fragmented womanhood can be. Noise layered over stillness. Introspection collided with theatricality. Even as each “teller” claimed her moment, her tale echoed against another’s, amplifying what Miu Miu has consistently done best: give voice to women on their own terms.
The New York staging marks another bold chapter in the brand’s ongoing artistic evolution. Between its Spring 2025 collection and experimental narratives like Truthless Times—a media-focused installation on misinformation—Miu Miu is carving out a space where fashion functions as both canvas and catalyst.
This isn’t luxury for luxury’s sake—it’s storytelling that demands attention. It’s a fashion house challenging the passive gaze, and replacing it with an invitation: step inside the story.
