V&A Exhibition Delves into Schiaparelli's Revolutionary Fashion Legacy
A groundbreaking new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum is set to explore how Italian-born designer Elsa Schiaparelli transformed fashion into an art form, with a particular focus on her surprising success in London, which she once dubbed "the most masculine city in the world." Spanning from the 1920s to the present day, the showcase brings together approximately 200 objects, including iconic designs worn by celebrities like Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa, alongside historic couture pieces that challenged conventional dress.
From Surrealist Collaborations to Red Carpet Moments
The exhibition, titled Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art, traces the designer's career from her establishment of a Paris couture house in the late 1920s to the brand's modern revival under creative director Daniel Roseberry. According to Sonnet Stanfill, the V&A's senior curator of fashion, Schiaparelli's work transcended mere clothing from the mid-1930s onward, particularly through her close collaborations with surrealist artists like Salvador Dalí.
"I think that from 1935 we know she started working very closely with the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí," Stanfill explains. "That starts small with a group of powder compacts and then moves on to garments like the tears dress, the skeleton dress and others." Schiaparelli herself described this creative process as "exhilarating" in her autobiography, Shocking Life, underscoring her view of dressmaking as an art rather than a profession.
Artistic Partnerships and Innovative Materials
Unlike contemporaries such as Coco Chanel, who merely socialised with artists, Schiaparelli actively integrated collaboration into her collections, working directly with figures like Jean Cocteau and Dalí. Stanfill notes that this exchange was central to her identity, with Schiaparelli even announcing it in press releases. "She was in a different league in terms of her actually working collaboratively and exchanging ideas, and also being the inspiration for the artists themselves," Stanfill adds.
Her innovative approach extended to materials and details, where she pushed boundaries with unusual textiles such as cellophane, rotophane, and woven glass. While her silhouettes often aligned with 1930s fashion trends, she distinguished herself through bold colour combinations—like beetroot red with salmon pink—and intricate embellishments, often created in partnership with the embroidery house Lesage.
Schiaparelli's London Operation and Daring Clientele
In 1933, Schiaparelli opened a London branch in Mayfair, then the epicentre of luxury shopping, despite her initial perception of the city as masculine and its inhabitants as "mad." Contrary to expectations, her British clientele proved remarkably daring, embracing vibrant colours, unusual prints, and even her most outrageous designs. "One might assume that maybe the British clients weren't as daring as the people that shopped in Paris," Stanfill says, "but actually, when you look at the clothes, you see there's vibrant colour and unusual textile prints."
High-profile women, including actress Marlene Dietrich, aviator Amy Johnson, and art collector Maud Russell, were among her London clients. A standout example is Lady Jane Clark, who wore a Schiaparelli coat with a button shaped like a bare-breasted mermaid to the 1937 Coronation, epitomising the bold spirit of her clientele. The London operation, which ran until 1939, allowed clients to avoid import duties and attend local presentations, cementing her influence in the capital.
Modern Revival and Global Impact
After closing her couture house in 1954, the Schiaparelli brand lay dormant for decades before being revived in 2014 and returning to the Paris couture calendar. Under creative director Daniel Roseberry, appointed in 2019, the house has regained global prominence through social media and red carpet fashion. Stanfill praises Roseberry's ability to capture the attention economy, noting that he uses the brand's history as a departure point for contemporary designs.
Celebrity moments, such as Kendall Jenner on the runway and Demi Moore on the red carpet, have introduced Schiaparelli's distinctive aesthetic to new audiences. Highlights in the exhibition include the striking red and sculptural pink couture dresses worn by Ariana Grande to the 2025 Oscars, demonstrating the brand's enduring appeal nearly a century after its founding.
Exhibition Details and Curatorial Vision
Running from March 28 to November 8, this is the first major UK exhibition dedicated to Schiaparelli's work. Stanfill aims to showcase the breadth of her creativity, encompassing fashion, art, and collaborations with stage and screen. "It's truly a V&A show in the sense that it celebrates creativity in many forms," she says. "I hope people are inspired by the creativity that they see on display." The exhibition not only honours Schiaparelli's legacy but also highlights how her innovative spirit continues to resonate in today's fashion landscape.
