V&A's Bold New Exhibition Celebrates Elsa Schiaparelli's Surrealist Fashion Legacy

A major new exhibition at London's V&A will explore the bold, boundary-pushing world of Elsa Schiaparelli. The show, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art, places her groundbreaking 1920s–1950s designs alongside modern interpretations by current creative director Daniel Roseberry. Rare pieces, including a 1938 dress embroidered with bones and a 1937 coat adorned with ribbon roses, will go on display.

Schiaparelli's rise was anything but conventional. A self-taught designer and single mother, she launched her fashion house in the 1920s without formal training. Her work defied expectations, incorporating zippers into evening gowns and experimenting with unconventional materials like cellophane and woven glass. London played a key role in her career, supplying textiles and attracting wealthy British clients.

The exhibition will feature one of the last surviving examples of her *Skeleton dress* from the 1938 *Circus* collection, a surreal collaboration with Salvador Dalí. The garment's embroidered ribs and bones create the illusion of a skeletal frame beneath the fabric. Another highlight is a 1937 silk jersey evening coat, its delicate ribbon roses and embroidered profiles showcasing her playful yet refined aesthetic. After closing her business in 1954, Schiaparelli's legacy was revived in 2012 by her granddaughter, Marisa Berenson, and Italian entrepreneur Diego Della Valle. The relaunched house preserved her original surrealist vision, focusing on haute couture and boutique collections. Personal family photographs, lent by Berenson, will offer a glimpse into Schiaparelli's life beyond the runway.

The V&A's exhibition brings together Schiaparelli's most daring creations and their modern counterparts. Visitors will see how her fearless approach to fashion—blending art, humour, and innovation—continues to influence designers today. The show runs from [exhibition dates, if provided], with tickets available through the museum's website.