Schiaparelli: When Fashion Dares to Think

The V&A hosts the first major exhibition in the UK dedicated to Elsa Schiaparelli, a legendary figure in 20th-century fashion and a protagonist in an ongoing dialogue between creativity, surrealism, and the avant-garde. The exhibition traces a century of invention, from the designer's debut in the 1920s to the contemporary creations of Daniel Roseberry, the Maison's current creative director. Over two hundred works, including clothing, accessories, jewelry, paintings, photographs, sculptures, perfumes, and archival materials, convey the vitality of a language that revolutionized fashion through art, irony, and experimentation. The exhibition focuses on Schiaparelli's artistic collaborations with some of the most influential figures of the 20th century: Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and Man Ray. Iconic pieces include the celebrated Skeleton Dress, the Tears Dress, and the shoe-hat, emblems of an aesthetic capable of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary and merging sartorial gesture with artistic thought. The retrospective also sheds light on the Maison's London branch, a little-known chapter in its history that reveals Schiaparelli's cosmopolitan nature and her ability to forge a creative dialogue between Paris, London, and New York. Her independent and visionary clients helped build the reputation of a designer who, more than any other, understood the spirit of the times. Alongside historic masterpieces, the exhibition also features recent creations by Daniel Roseberry, who, from his headquarters on Place Vendôme, continues to reinvent the founder's legacy with sculptural forms and solutions that hover between art and performance. From this perspective, the exhibition not only celebrates an icon of the past, but also illustrates the continuity of a vision that continues to inspire visual culture and contemporary fashion today. As V&A Director Tristram Hunt noted, the exhibition aims to celebrate one of the most daring designers in history, capable of breaking down the boundaries between fashion, art, and performance. And in keeping with her motto - “In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous” - Schiaparelli returns to speaking in the present, reminding us that creativity, in the most complex moments, is always an act of freedom.