Schiaparelli, but Make It Museum-Worthy: The V&A’s Most Surreal Fashion Moment Yet
By Alexus Mosley
Photo Credit/V&A
This season, London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is opening its doors to “Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art,” the first-ever UK exhibition dedicated to the iconic French maison, and it’s shaping up to be less of a showcase and more of a full-blown fashion fantasy. Spanning more than 400 objects, the exhibition brings together more than 100 garments and 50 artworks, along with accessories, jewelry, photography, furniture, perfumes, and archival pieces. In other words, this isn’t just a fashion exhibit, but a world. And what a world it is.
From the surrealist beginnings of founder Elsa Schiaparelli (whose designs blurred the line between clothing and art) to the modern-day vision of creative director Daniel Roseberry, the exhibition traces a house that has never quite believed in playing it safe. Think sculptural silhouettes, unexpected materials, and pieces that feel just as at home on a runway as they do behind glass. But that’s exactly the point.
Photo Credit/ V&A
Schiaparelli has always existed in that in-between space. It’s where fashion meets imagination, and where clothing is embraced as artifacts rather than just garments. The V&A exhibition doesn’t just celebrate the brand’s history. It also quietly reminds us that couture, at its highest level, is about storytelling and challenging what we view as fashion. Open through November 8, “Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art” invites visitors into a world where lobsters can be luxurious, gold is a staple, and fashion refuses to stay in its lane.