La Dolce Vita Still Walks the Runway: When Rome Dressed the World

There was a time when Rome was more than the Eternal City - it was the world's capital of elegance. Along Via Veneto, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Anita Ekberg, Elizabeth Taylor, Sean Connery, and Anna Magnani defined the glamour of an era, while Cinecittà became Hollywood on the Tiber and Italian ateliers rewrote the language of fashion. Fashion in Light 1955-1975: Rome between Glamour and Industrial Innovation, on view at Centrale Montemartini, brings that extraordinary season back to life through more than 150 photographs from the Archivio Luce, rare film footage, 27 haute couture masterpieces, and previously unseen archival materials. The exhibition tells the story of the birth of Made in Italy, when legendary names such as Valentino, Sorelle Fontana, Gattinoni, Capucci, Galitzine, Fendi, and Karl Lagerfeld turned Rome into the epicenter of international fashion. Iconic garments, movie premieres, runway shows, and unforgettable moments recreate an age that became legend: Valentino's debut collection in 1959, Anita Ekberg's unforgettable scene in the Trevi Fountain, Galitzine's famous palazzo pajamas worn by Claudia Cardinale, and couture creations made for queens, film stars, and world leaders. More than a fashion exhibition, Fashion in Light is a journey back to the golden years of La Dolce Vita, when Rome taught the world not only how to dress, but how to dream.