Inside Schiaparelli at the V&A: Surreal Fashion Comes Alive
Inside Schiaparelli at the V&A: Surreal Fashion Comes Alive
A fresh look at Schiaparelli's V&A show uncovers Dalí-inspired gowns, provocative buttons, and fashion as art, told through the designer's surreal legacy.
At the Victoria and Albert Museum, a major new show invites visitors into the world of Elsa Schiaparelli—one of fashion’s most provocative designers—and the modern vision of her legacy under Daniel Roseberry. Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art, the UK’s first comprehensive survey of the designer, traces how she turned clothing into a dialogue between couture and culture and how Roseberry keeps the conversation alive today.\n\nCritics describe the exhibition as a surrealist delight: gowns that fuse whimsy with wit, Dalí-inspired motifs, and a gallery of frankly extraordinary buttons.\n\nOther features pull the visitor closer to the story behind the work, with a focus on how the Victoria and Albert Museum is bringing Elsa Schiaparelli to life for a new generation, highlighting the transformative power of both the woman and her work.\n\nWhether you’re a long-time fashion aficionado or a curious culture seeker, the show promises a vivid, narrative experience—one that demonstrates how fashion can become art.\n\nThis milestone for London’s fashion scene highlights the ongoing dialogue between sculpture and sewing, art and apparel, and invites visitors to step into a world where imagination wears the label.
