If this year's Met Gala theme, 'Costume Art', left you longing for more couture fashion inspiration, leave your Pinterest board behind and step into the Schiaparelli exhibition now showing at the V&A.
Entitled 'Fashion becomes Art', this exhibition embodies Elsa Schiaparelli's statement that 'dress designing is not a profession but an art'. Specifically when it comes to the unique Schiaparelli style, Elsa's designs take inspiration from surrealist artworks and motifs. The clothes themselves are dramatic and performative, and are without a doubt, made to be seen on the world stage. Even those who will profess not to know Schiaparelli by name can call to mind the gilded brass breastplate worn by Bella Hadid at the Cannes Film Festival.
The world of Schiaparelli is weird, wonderful and wild; Elsa was inspired by Salvador Dalí's work and often created in collaboration with him. Artist collaboration is stitched into the very fabric of her creative identity, and so it is easy to see where fashion and art collide when looking at her designs. Elsa worked with many leading Surrealist artists in the 1930s including Dalí, Jean Cocteau, Man Ray, and Alberto Giacometti. These collaborations produced some of her most iconic works such as the lobster dress and the shoe hat. Many who have visited this exhibition note that Elsa's work, despite ranging from as far back as 1930, retains a modern feel.
To honour such an important career in the world of fashion, the V&A has pulled together an impressive 200+ object display to celebrate this formidable artist. Not only can you discover the objects and outfits which have defined the Schiaparelli legacy so far, the V&A has also created a programme of online courses and lunchtime lectures for those who would like to step even further into the magical, surprising and surreal world of Elsa Schiaparelli.
You need to book this exhibition in advance as it has been a resounding success from the start, but it will certainly be worth your time.
Book your tickets here: Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art.