Londons Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), which already presented fashion exhibitions on Chanel, Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior, will show the first exhibition in Great Britain to be dedicated to Haute-Couture and Ready-to-Wear fashion house Schiaparelli.
‘Schiaparelli: Mode becomes art’ runs from March 21st to November 1, 2026. The exhibition traces the history and influence of Elsa Schiaparelli, which is considered one of the most innovative fashion designers of the 20th century. It pursues the origins of the house from its groundbreaking clothing in the 1920s to its current incarnation under the direction of creative director Daniel Roseberry, who joined the 2019 fashion house.
Tristam Hunt, director of the V&A, said in a statement: “‘Schiaparelli: Mode becomes art’ recognizes one of the most ingenious and wildest designers in the fashion history. Performance make the Maison and its founder an ideal topic for a spectacular exhibition in V&A. ”
Exhibition with more than 200 objects
The exhibition will include more than 200 objects. These include clothing, accessories, jewelry, paintings, photographs, sculptures, furniture, perfumes and archive material. All of this is intended to honor the “unlimited creativity” of the Schiaparelli house, explains the museum.
The V&A has some of Elsa Schiaparelli’s most radical designs. The exhibition will highlight the ‘skeleton’ dress and the ‘tears’ dress, together with a hat that is shaped like an in turn. All were designed in collaboration with Salvador Dalí. Works of art by Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and MAN Ray are also exhibited.
The exhibition will also deal with the popularity of Schiaparelli’s designs for film and theater productions. It shows how the designer turned ordinary objects into innovative clothing, accessories and jewelry.
In addition, the V&A explains that the exhibition will present new research results from art and fashion curators. These focus on the creative cooperation and the work of the founder Elsa Schiaparelli. They shed light on how the entrepreneur became a key figure that shaped fashion, art and performance from Paris via London to New York in the years between the two world wars and until her resignation in 1954.
The exhibition will also illuminate the London branch of Schiaparelli and present its customers: inside and the founder’s participation in this location.
Delphine Bellini, managing director of Schiaparelli, added: “Elsa Schiaparelli’s fearless imagination and radical vision have redefined the boundaries between fashion and art. This exhibition recognizes its sustainable influence through iconic cooperation with masters of the 20th century and a groundbreaking fusion of creativity and commercial. With its incomparable collections, its expertise in fashion and design, The Victoria and Albert Museum offers its cultural reach and its ability to combine tradition and innovation to present its legacy alongside Daniel Roseberry’s creations that continue their surrealistic spirit with bold, sculptural designs that both honor and reinvent their vision for a new century. “
This article was used with digital tools translated.
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