London’s Victoria & Albert Museum has opened a major exhibition featuring the surrealist fashion designs of Italian house Schiaparelli. The show displays 400 pieces spanning from founder Elsa Schiaparelli’s 1930s collaborations with Salvador Dalí to modern red carpet gowns worn by stars like Ariana Grande.
A groundbreaking fashion exhibition has debuted at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, showcasing the innovative and surrealist creations of the Italian fashion house Schiaparelli, featuring everything from collaborative pieces with Salvador Dalí to stunning celebrity red carpet moments including Ariana Grande’s Oscar gown.
The comprehensive display chronicles 100 years of artistic innovation and craftsmanship at the prestigious couture brand, spanning from founder Elsa Schiaparelli’s pioneering work alongside prominent artists in 1930s Paris through to today’s creative director Daniel Roseberry, who continues drawing worldwide acclaim by creating sculptural masterpieces for celebrities including Margot Robbie.
Museum director Tristram Hunt announced Wednesday that “‘Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art’ will celebrate one of the most ingenious and daring designers in fashion history.”
Among the exhibition’s most notable pieces from the 400-item collection is Dalí’s iconic Lobster Telephone from 1938, presented alongside the matching “Lobster Dress” – an elegant white silk creation decorated with a striking red lobster that Schiaparelli developed with the renowned surrealist painter. This particular garment gained historical significance when worn by Wallis Simpson, the American woman for whom King Edward VIII gave up his throne.
Another remarkable Dalí partnership produced the “Skeleton dress,” featuring black fabric with three-dimensional quilted details that mirror human bone structure.
Exhibition curator Rosalind McKever explained to The Associated Press: “You cannot imagine how shocking this would have been in 1938 when it was first shown. It is a kind of punk look.”
The display also includes an elegant evening coat adorned with pink silk roses, created through Schiaparelli’s collaboration with French artist Jean Cocteau, who passed away in 1963.
McKever noted that Coco Chanel, a rival designer of the era, once referred to Schiaparelli as “that Italian artist who’s making clothes.” However, McKever added, “Schiaparelli would have taken that as a compliment because she was so integrated in this artistic community. She even said, ‘For me, dress designing is not a profession, but an art.’”
The fashion pioneer launched her initial Parisian venture in 1927, creating functional everyday clothing including trouser suits – a revolutionary option for women during that period – alongside more imaginative and playful pieces such as leopard fur footwear.
Her client roster grew to include legendary figures like Mae West and Marlene Dietrich, with the latter particularly favoring Schiaparelli’s precisely tailored pantsuit designs.
Though the original designer stepped back from the industry in the 1950s and passed away in 1973, contemporary designer Roseberry has embraced the responsibility of continuing Schiaparelli’s innovative spirit and haute couture theatricality for today’s fashion world.
Among the exhibition’s most striking contemporary pieces is a ruby-encrusted red gown that Grande wore during her “Wicked” medley performance at last year’s Academy Awards ceremony. The elaborate ballgown features an actual ruby slipper emerging from the dress’s back panel as homage to “The Wizard of Oz.”
Additional displays feature glittering showcases containing jewelry, buttons, and fragrance bottles, each crafted with artistic attention to detail.
The exhibition launched Saturday and will remain open through November 8.