Florence Müller, Denver Art Museum’s Iconic Curator of Textile Art and Fashion, Departs in May

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) announced last week the May 2022 departure of Florence Müller, Avenir Foundation Curator of Textile Art and Fashion. Her work with the museum elevated the Denver fashion scene and transformed fashion as an art form in the local community.

Florence Müller, fashion curator at Denver Art Museum. Photo by Brittany Werges

Müller joined the DAM in 2015, developing the Textile Art and Fashion Department that has grown immensely over the last few years. As the curator for the 2012 traveling exhibition Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective, Müller played a key role in launching a luxury fashion presence in Denver.

Several exhibitions over the years were the product of Müller’s work, including Dior: From Paris to the World; Shock Wave: Japanese Fashion Design, 1980s–90s; Drawn to Glamour: Fashion Illustrations by Jim Howard; Paris to Hollywood: The Fashion and Influence of Véronique and Gregory Peck; and Suited: Empowered Feminine Fashion. She also curated an exhibition new to the DAM this month – Carla Fernández Casa de Moda: A Mexican Fashion Manifesto.

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“During my six years at the DAM, I had the opportunity to work with an amazing team who helped me to bring ambitious projects to Denver,” Müller said. “I enjoyed my time curating exhibitions on new and diverse topics that helped to develop the permanent collections of the museum.”

Following the opening of the Textile Art and Fashion Galleries last fall, Müller felt inclined to pursue other projects. However, she plans to continue to watch the museum and its fashion exhibitions grow and flourish in the future.

The museum plans to search for a curator to replace Müller and will look internationally for candidates. Although Müller’s shoes will be difficult to fill, the DAM’s resources – including a recent anonymous $25 million endowment gift – will guarantee a swift transition for the next curator.

“We are fortunate to have had Florence’s vision and talent in-house at the Denver Art Museum for these past six years,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the DAM. “We look forward to seeing the mark Florence continues to make on the art and fashion world, as well as how the Denver Art Museum’s textile art and fashion program evolves into its next chapter.”