The exhibition Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art that we went to see yesterday at the V&A museum was - as ever, with the expert curation they have always employed - a superb, comprehensive, and utterly dazzling display of the creative talents of Madame Elsa Schiaparelli, the couture empire she founded, and its legacy today [the fashion house was revived in 2013 after almost 60 years, with Christian Lacroix as then creative director].
Myriad original Schiaparelli designs on show, from the "formal" to the frivolous, were a feast for the senses [click any photo to enlarge, or right-click and "open in new tab" for even greater detail]:
Her playfulness extended to the minutest details - trims, patterns, and in particular the buttons (a whole room of which were also there to view in all their spectacular glory):
Speaking of accessories...
Inevitably, amongst all the beautiful gowns on offer, it's the rare survivors from her famed Surrealist collaborations - with the likes of Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau - that are the stars of the show:
The output of the relaunched House of Schiaparelli was no less impressive, of course - pieces have featured everywhere from catwalks to red carpets to the Met Gala - and whole galleries of those were there, too:
However, if I really have to make a choice among my favourites of the whole collection, they would have to be these...
A splendid way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
If you can, book tickets today! Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art runs until 8th November 2026.
