Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art | First Ever Schiaparelli Exhibition in the UK

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“In difficult times fashion is always outrageous.” – Elsa Schiaparelli

In March 2026, the V&A will open the first exhibition ever staged in the UK devoted to Schiaparelli. Spanning the 1920s to the present day, the exhibition charts the history and impact of one of the 20th century’s most innovative fashion designers, Elsa Schiaparelli. The show will trace the origins of the house, from its first, paradigm shifting garments, through to its present-day incarnation in the hands of its creative director, Daniel Roseberry.

Featuring new research undertaken by art and fashion curators focused on the creative collaborations and output of founder Elsa Schiaparelli, the exhibition places her at the nexus of innovation, a key figure within a stellar sphere of fashion, art and performance which spanned the cities of Paris, London, and New York in the years between the two world wars and up to her retirement in 1954. It will highlight the history of a female entrepreneur and showcase her celebrated, yet little-seen garments from the history of fashion. The exhibition will be the first of its kind to spotlight the London branch of
Schiaparelli, its dynamic and independent clients and the founder’s own involvement in the satellite location.

The exhibition will comprise over 200 objects, including garments, accessories, jewellery, paintings, photographs, sculpture, furniture, perfumes and archive material. The diversity of media, styles and subjects will celebrate the house of Schiaparelli’s boundless creativity. The V&A holds some of Elsa Schiaparelli’s most radical designs. The exhibition will feature the V&A’s ‘Skeleton’ dress and the ‘Tears’ dress, along with a hat shaped to look like an upside-down shoe, all conceived in collaboration with Salvador Dalí. Artworks by Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Man Ray will also be on display. The exhibition will reference the popularity of Schiaparelli’s designs for film and theatre productions.

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Schiaparelli possessed a vibrant artistic sensibility. Turning ordinary items into innovative clothing, accessories and jewellery, she created the most memorable fashions of the day. Her couture house, the most discussed of interwar Paris, redefined standards of style and definitions of beauty.

Today, from the iconic Schiaparelli atelier at 21 Place Vendôme, creative director Daniel Roseberry accompanies the storied Maison into its next chapter, establishing an oeuvre that continues to shape and inspire global culture today. Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, said: “Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art will celebrate one of the most ingenious and daring designers in fashion history. The V&A holds one of the largest and most important fashion collections in the world, and the foremost collection of Schiaparelli garments in Britain. Schiaparelli’s collaboration with artists and with the world of performance make the Maison and its founder an ideal subject for a spectacular exhibition at the V&A.”

Delphine Bellini, CEO of Schiaparelli, said: “Elsa Schiaparelli’s fearless imagination and radical vision redefined the boundaries between fashion and art. This exhibition celebrates her enduring influence through iconic collaborations with 20th-century masters and a pioneering fusion of creativity and commerce. With its unparalleled collections, expertise in fashion and design, cultural reach, and ability to bridge tradition and innovation, the Victoria and Albert Museum offers the perfect setting to showcase her legacy alongside Daniel Roseberry’s creations, which carry her surrealist spirit forward blurring lines with bold, sculptural designs that both honour and reinvent her vision for a new century.”

The exhibition Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art runs from 28 March – 8 November 2026.

[Photo Credit: Courtesy of V&A]

• Exhibitions
• Schiaparelli