The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in South Kensington, London, opens “Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art” on Saturday, March 28 — the first major UK exhibition dedicated solely to the French maison. The show runs through November 8.
Over 400 Objects on Display
The scale of the exhibition is remarkable, bringing together more than 400 objects: approximately 100 garments and 50 works of art, alongside accessories, jewelry, paintings, photographs, furniture, perfumes, and archival pieces. Spanning nearly a century of the brand’s history, the show moves from the early work of founder Elsa Schiaparelli to the latest creations of current creative director Daniel Roseberry.
Schiaparelli as Artist
Born in 1890 into a prominent Roman family, Elsa made her mark from her very first collection in 1927, when knitwear featuring trompe l’oeil motifs sent shockwaves through the fashion world. She went on to establish her atelier on the Place Vendôme in Paris, collaborating with Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau, and Meret Oppenheim, among others. Pieces such as the 1937–38 Shoe Hat and the Skeleton Dress continue to be celebrated as works of surrealist art that transcend fashion entirely.
A Designer Who Loved to Shock
Elsa established Shocking Pink as her signature color and pursued provocation as a matter of principle. She once displayed a taxidermied pink polar bear in her shop window, and when she passed away in 1973, she was buried wearing pink. A coat made for Jane Clark to wear at the 1937 coronation fastens at the bust with a single button in the form of a gilded naked mermaid — proof that Elsa was embodying fashion as performance art long before the concept had a name.
Despite closing her atelier in 1954 due to financial difficulties, her legacy endured. The brand was later acquired by Diego Della Valle, founder of Italian leather goods company Tod’s, and relaunched in 2012. Roseberry has served as creative director since 2019.
A DNA Passed Down to the Present
The exhibition also features several works by Roseberry, including the red gown worn by Ariana Grande during her performance at the 2025 Academy Awards, the golden breastplate shaped like a pair of lungs that caused a sensation on the red carpet at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, worn by Bella Hadid, and the “Robot Baby” — assembled from old flip phones and circuit board fragments — that appeared on the 2024 runway.
“Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art”
- Venue: V&A South Kensington, The Sainsbury Gallery
- Address: Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
- Dates: Saturday, March 28 – November 8, 2026
- Admission: £28.00 weekdays / £30.00 weekends (concessions available). Advance booking recommended.
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