Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art, An Exhibition
Updated: Oct 26
The Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art exhibition at the V&A offers an extraordinary overview of the Italian fashion designer's career with over 400 pieces that highlight the avant-garde influences, and vice versa, of the house.
As full of art as it is of couture designs, with features from Man Ray, Salvador Dalì and John Cocteau, the curation delves into Schiaparelli's fabulous world of surrealism and its admirers, whether patrons or friends, or both.
The Le Beau Temps by Man Ray references Elsa Schiaparelli's avant-garde designs
By interweaving the surrealist art pieces throughout the collection, the exhibition blurred the lines of reference between art and fashion. Who influenced who switches so often that by the end it is clear that the surrealist, avant-garde movement as a whole intrinsically links the two art forms.
The Le Beau Temps by Man Ray depicts a colourful coat directly referenced from Elsa Schiaparelli's Commedia dell'arte collection. The impact of Salvador Dalì's work on Schiaparelli's is featured throughout, from the Skeleton dress through to the Lobster dress and even the Shoe Hat collaborations. Notes and letters between dear friends highlighted the mutual respect and admiration these artists shared and deepened the connection between fashion and art, particularly at highly political times.
Schiaparelli Skeleton Dress, V&A Schiaparelli Skeleton Dress Sketches with Savladore Dalì Schiaparelli's Desk Suit with Salvador Dalì
The contextualisation of the house in line with Elsa Schiaparelli's life gave a meaningful context to her designs. Following the chronology of her time between Paris, London and New York, the collections felt almost biographical and provided a deeper understanding of the power behind the designs. Punctuated by the customers who wore them, the curation of the exhibition was wonderfully insightful into this recent creative era.
Schiaparelli's Paris store window front, V&A Schiaparelli's evening wear design Schiaparelli's Paris salon interior Schiaparelli's surrealist inspired compacts 'Necrophilic Spring" by Salvador Dalí, 1936
To follow on from the history of the brand and placing it in today's world, the exhibition also paid homage to Daniel Roseberry, who has always honoured the heritage of the house. Following from this backstory, his designs and nods to the humour and surrealist nature of the creations became so much more impactful, whilst also highlighting the talent and the prestige the house still rightly holds today.
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