The V&A South Kensington in London has launched a new exhibition, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art. The museum showcases Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy from the 1920s to the present and recognizes her as one of the most artistically influential fashion designers of the 20th century.
For visitors of the V&A, the exhibition outlines Maison Schiaparelli’s history, starting with its first fashion pieces and continuing to its current form under creative director Daniel Roseberry.
Above photo: Schiaparelli Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024. Photo © Giovanni Giannoni. Courtesy of Patrimoine Schiaparelli – Paris.
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The exhibition showcases recent research by art and fashion curators, highlighting Elsa Schiaparelli as a pioneering figure in fashion, art, and performance across Paris, London, and New York between the two wars.
It highlights her entrepreneurial history and her celebrated yet rarely seen creations. The exhibition is the first to showcase the London branch of Schiaparelli, its independent clientele, and the founder’s involvement.
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art comprises more than 400 objects, including 100 ensembles and 50 artworks, along with accessories, jewellery, paintings, photographs, furniture, perfumes, and archival material.
Highlights on display include the 1938 Skeleton dress, the only known surviving example (part of the V&A’s permanent collection), the 1938 Tears Dress, and a hat resembling an upside-down shoe, all conceived in collaboration with artist Salvador Dalí.
Artworks by Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Man Ray, and Eileen Agar are also on display, along with several of Schiaparelli’s designs for film and theatre.
Daniel Roseberry’s spectacular creations—including looks worn by Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa—bring the exhibition to a dramatic close.
Schiaparelli’s couture house revolutionized style standards and redefined modern beauty. Today, from its original location at 21 Place Vendôme in Paris, creative director Daniel Roseberry guides the renowned Maison into a new era, producing a body of work that influences and inspires fashion culture worldwide.
Don’t miss the fabulous V&A’s Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art exhibition, running from March 28 to November 8, 2026! It’s a wonderful opportunity to visit London and experience fashion as art.
