What Modemuseum Hasselt (MMH) does

Modemuseum Hasselt (MMH) is a municipal fashion museum located in a restored 17th-century former convent at Gasthuisstraat 11, Hasselt, Belgium, operated by the City of Hasselt as part of its cultural services. Founded in 1988 as the first independent fashion museum in the Low Countries, MMH holds a permanent collection of approximately 18,000-19,000 garments and accessories spanning Western fashion from 1750 to the present, with a distinctive emphasis on Belgian and Limburg designers such as Martin Margiela and Raf Simons. Rather than displaying a permanent collection, the museum presents two major temporary exhibitions per year, currently "Memory is Home" (May 2026 to January 2027).

The museum's revenue model combines low-fee admission tickets (adults €10, youth €6, seniors €8; free for children under 12), a three-tier recurring membership program (Vrienden van MMH: FAN €10/year, LID €25/year, VIP €250/year), paid workshops and special activities (Pilates €15, smock techniques €67, perfume creation €85), guided tours, and corporate sponsorship. Distribution occurs through the museum's own ticketing system (boeking.hasselt.be), the HasPas combined ticket covering seven Hasselt cultural venues at €18, school and group bookings, and digital collection access via Europeana Fashion, Modemuze, and Erfgoedplus.

The institution serves a broad audience: general public and tourists (primarily from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany), primary and secondary school groups, families with children, fashion industry professionals, and dedicated fashion enthusiasts. A 12-person team includes specialized curatorial, conservation, registration, data conservation, production, marketing, public mediation, and reception roles. Operating hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00-17:00, with seasonal late-night openings. The museum is closed for installation between major exhibitions.

Name

Modemuseum Hasselt (MMH)

Legal name

Modemuseum Hasselt

Website

https://modemuseumhasselt.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Modemuseum Hasselt is a municipal fashion museum in Hasselt, Belgium, holding approximately 19,000 garments spanning 1750 to present and presenting two major temporary exhibitions per year, serving the general public, schools, and fashion enthusiasts in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fashion Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Fashion Resale, Vintage & Pre-owned (CRAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Fashion museum
• Temporary exhibitions
• Heritage preservation
• Collection management
• Educational programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Hasselt

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Admission fees: Revenue from individual and group ticket sales. Adults €10, youth (12-26) €6, seniors €8, children under 12 free. Group rates from 15 persons at €8/person.
2. Membership program (Vrienden van MMH): Three-tier membership program: FAN (€10/year for under 25), LID (€25/year), and VIP (€250/year) with varying benefits including free admission, shop discounts, and exclusive events.
3. Workshop and activity fees: Fees for workshops, courses, and special activities. Pilates sessions €15 (€12 for youth), smock techniques workshop €67, perfume creation workshop €85, guided tours with additional guide fees.
4. Sponsorship and partnerships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for exhibitions, educational projects, and museum-wide partnerships. Project-based financial sponsorship, structural partnerships, and in-kind contributions.
5. HasPas combined ticket: Combined admission ticket (€18) for access to multiple Hasselt museums including Modemuseum Hasselt, Jenevermuseum, Het Stadsmus, Z33, Villa Verbeelding, Abdijsite Herkenrode, and Japanese Garden.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Modemuseum Hasselt is a fashion museum that presents two major temporary exhibitions per year drawn from its permanent collection of approximately 18,000-19,000 garments and accessories documenting Western fashion from 1750 to present. The museum supplements exhibitions with guided tours, creative workshops, educational school programs, family activities, Pilates sessions, a three-tier membership program (Vrienden van MMH), and combined ticketing through the HasPass program with other Hasselt cultural venues.

Product overview

Modemuseum Hasselt operates as a fashion museum offering a rotating program of temporary exhibitions rather than a permanent collection display. The core offering centers on two major exhibitions annually featuring garments and accessories from its collection of approximately 18,000 items spanning Western fashion from 1750 to present. Supplementary products include guided tours in multiple languages, educational workshops (pilates, crafts, perfume-making), school programs, and a three-tier Vrienden membership. The museum also provides access to its collection through external platforms (Europeana Fashion, Modemuze, Erfgoedplus) and operates an outgoing loan system for collection pieces. Ticketing and activity booking are managed through an integrated online booking system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Entrance Tickets Standard admission tickets granting access to the museum's current exhibitions. Prices range from free (under 12) to €10 for adults, with reduced rates for youth (€6) and seniors (€8).
• Temporary Exhibitions The museum presents two major temporary exhibitions per year on various fashion themes, featuring objects from the collection alongside significant loans. Current exhibition 'Memory is Home' runs from 14.05.2026 to 31.01.2027.
• Guided Tours Expert-led tours through exhibitions conducted by trained museum guides, available in multiple languages including Dutch, English, and German. Private guided tours can be booked for groups.
• Educational Activities and Workshops Various educational programs including workshops (smock techniques at €67, perfume creation at €85, teddy bear keychain making), school programs tailored for primary and secondary education, and family activities like treasure hunts.
• Pilates in het Museum Mat Pilates sessions held in the museum space, led by certified instructor Kim Zwinnen. Combines wellness with cultural experience at €15 per session (€12 for youth 12-25).
• Vrienden Membership Program Three-tier membership program: FAN (€10/year for under 25) includes free admission and event invitations; LID (€25/year) adds free access to all city museums and shop discounts; VIP (€250/year) includes exclusive guided tour for 10 people.
• Late Night Museum Events Extended evening opening events during summer months, held on the first Thursday of each month, offering free access to exhibitions until 22:00.
• HasPas Combined Ticket Combined entrance ticket (€18) granting access to Modemuseum Hasselt, Jenevermuseum, Het Stadsmus, Z33, Villa Verbeelding, Abdijsite Herkenrode, and the Japanese Garden.
• Collection Access and Research Access to the museum's collection of approximately 18,000 garments and accessories spanning Western fashion from 1750 to present. Collection can be explored via Europeana Fashion, Modemuze, and Erfgoedplus platforms.
• Outgoing Loan System The museum lends pieces from its collection to other institutions, making the collection accessible to wider audiences and allowing objects to inspire new publics.
• Aperitif Tours (Aperitiefrondleiding) Guided exhibition tours combined with complimentary drinks, held on the first Sunday of each month at 11:00, offering a social museum experience.
• Talks and Lectures Educational talks such as the VAKlab collaboration 'Behind the Scenes of the Fashion World' exploring fashion industry professionals including photographers and scenographers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Draws visitors from across Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• V&A Museum (London)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bags: Inside Out exhibition was curated by Lucia Savi and conceived at the V&A Museum. The exhibition was adapted for Hasselt with the addition of Belgian designs and a focus on 'Belgitude'. This partnership positioned MMH as a destination for internationally curated fashion exhibitions.
• Europeana FashionminorOthersMMH collection pieces are accessible through Europeana Fashion platform, increasing digital visibility and accessibility of the collection to international audiences.
• ModemuzeminorOthersCollection accessible through Modemuze platform, a Dutch fashion heritage database, expanding reach to fashion enthusiasts in the Netherlands.
• ErfgoedplusminorOthersHeritage collection database providing additional digital access point to MMH collection for researchers and the public.
• Visit HasseltcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial tourism partner for Hasselt, selling combined HasPas tickets and promoting museum through regional tourism channels. Also handles membership sales for Vrienden van MMH.
• Ferm ShiftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Mental Load Mantels installation, bringing contemporary social issues to the museum context through craft-based installation art.
• VAKlabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for talk event 'Behind the Scenes of the Fashion World' featuring industry professionals including Marleen Daniëls (fashion photographer) and Karel Burssens (scenographer).
• Other Hasselt museums (Jenevermuseum, Het Stadsmus, Z33, Villa Verbeelding, Abdijsite Herkenrode, Japanese Garden)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCombined ticketing through HasPas program, cross-promotional activities, and collaborative cultural tourism offerings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Centraal Museum Utrecht: Dutch museum with fashion and design collections, comparable in scale and regional positioning. Operates in the Netherlands catchment area that MMH also draws from.
• Z33 House for Contemporary Art: Contemporary art and design museum also based in Hasselt, part of the HasPas combined ticket network. Adjacent cultural institution in the same city with complementary contemporary design focus.

Direct peers

• Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris): Paris museum with significant fashion and textile collections alongside decorative arts. Comparable in curatorial scope (fashion/decorative arts intersection) and reliance on rotating exhibitions rather than permanent display.
• Fashion Museum Bath: UK-based fashion museum with a historic collection of dress from the 16th century to present, comparable collection depth and rotating exhibition model. Operates with a small team and similar reliance on ticketing, memberships, and retail.
• Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology): New York fashion museum with rotating exhibitions on fashion history. Comparable educational affiliation (FIT) and small-team operating model focused on fashion exhibitions rather than permanent display.
• MoMu - Antwerp Fashion Museum: Belgium's other major fashion museum, located in Antwerp. Operates as a municipal fashion museum with rotating exhibitions, a permanent collection, and strong focus on Belgian designers. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and revenue model (admissions + museum shop + groups).
• ModeMuseum München (Münchner Stadtmuseum Fashion Department): Germany's notable fashion museum, part of the Münchner Stadtmuseum, with collection spanning 18th-20th century fashion. Comparable European municipal fashion museum with rotating exhibitions and educational programming.
• Palais Galliera (Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris): Paris municipal fashion museum with a permanent collection of ~200,000 items and rotating exhibitions. Closest peer in terms of municipal governance model and city-affiliated fashion heritage mandate.

Emerging players

• MAD Brussels: Brussels-based fashion and design platform with exhibition and event programming. Smaller and more emerging than MMH, but working in the same Belgian fashion-design space with comparable museum-style exhibitions.

Broad incumbents

• V&A Museum: Major London museum with significant fashion and textile collections. Existing core partner for MMH (the "Bags: Inside Out" exhibition was conceived at the V&A). Larger, broader portfolio but overlapping fashion exhibition category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/modemuseum_hasselt
• Facebookfacebook.com/modemuseumhasselt
• Instagraminstagram.com/modemuseum_hasselt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/modemuseum-hasselt-mmh-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Modemuseum Hasselt (MMH)