From March 21 to Nov. 1, 2026, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London will open the first exhibition ever dedicated in the United Kingdom to Elsa Schiaparelli, one of the 20th century’s most visionary and daring fashion designers. Spanning a time span from the 1920s to the present, the exhibition titled Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art, curated by Sonnet Stanfill, Lydia Caston and Rosalind McKever in close collaboration with Schiaparelli, explores her origins, history, influence and legacy through clothes, objects and a wealth of archival documentation.
The result of new and extensive research conducted by the V&A curators, the exhibition aims to focus on Schiaparelli as an innovator, entrepreneur and creator in constant dialogue with the world of art and entertainment. Living between Paris, London and New York, Elsa Schiaparelli built an unmistakable stylistic universe marked by collaboration with the likes of Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Man Ray. A fashion laden with surrealist references was born, capable of challenging conventions and redefining the very concept of elegance.
Among the more than 200 objects on display are clothes, jewelry, accessories, perfumes, photographs, paintings, sculptures and archival materials that testify to the maison’s extraordinary ability to transform the everyday into vision. Some of the most radical garments conceived by Schiaparelli - now part of the V&A’s collection - will be on display in the exhibition, including the “Skeleton” dress and the “Tears” gown, which originated from the collaboration with Dalí, along with the famous hat-shoe. The relationship with cinema and theater, worlds in which his designs found space and resonance, will also be recounted.
The exhibition will also emphasize a hitherto little-explored aspect: the activities of the fashion house’s London office, its independent and cosmopolitan clients, and the founder’s direct involvement in that branch. At a time when fashion was still male-dominated, Elsa Schiaparelli was able to establish herself as a disruptive figure, transforming tailoring into a personal language, free and charged with imagination.
Today, the atelier at 21 Place Vendôme continues to be the beating heart of the maison. Through his work, creative director Daniel Roseberry renews Schiaparelli’s vision for the present, shaping an expressive language that continues to influence and inspire contemporary visual culture.
“Schiaparelli: fashion becomes art will celebrate one of the most brilliant and daring designers in fashion history. The V&A is home to one of the largest and most important fashion collections in the world and the most important collection of Schiaparelli dresses in Britain. Schiaparelli’s collaboration with artists and the world of performance makes the Maison and its founder an ideal subject for a spectacular exhibition at the V&A,” said Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
“Elsa Schiaparelli’s bold imagination and radical vision,” said Delphine Bellini, CEO of Schiaparelli, “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, fashion and design expertise, cultural reach, and ability to combine tradition and innovation, the Victoria and Albert Museum offers the perfect setting to showcase her legacy alongside Daniel Roseberry’s creations that carry forward her surrealist spirit, blurring boundaries with bold, sculptural designs that honor and reinvent her vision for a new century.”
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| At the Victoria and Albert Museum the first exhibition ever dedicated in the UK to Elsa Schiaparelli |
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