ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

V&A Exhibition Explores Schiaparelli's Fashion as Art

exhibition · 2026-03-24

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is presenting 'Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art,' the first major UK retrospective of Elsa Schiaparelli's work. The exhibition features over 400 items, including garments, accessories, jewelry, paintings, photographs, and archival materials, many from the V&A's own collection. It examines the designer's career from her 1930s Paris boutique through her collaborations with artists like Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau, and includes contemporary pieces by current creative director Daniel Roseberry. The show highlights Schiaparelli's surrealist approach, her business acumen, and her influence on fashion as an art form. It also touches on her complex wartime activities, including a 1940 American lecture tour during which she faced espionage accusations. Notable works on display include the 1938 skeleton dress co-designed with Dalí, the tears dress, and pieces from her circus and zodiac collections. The exhibition runs through November 8, positioning Schiaparelli's legacy within ongoing dialogues between fashion and art.

Key facts

  • The V&A in London is hosting the first major UK retrospective of Elsa Schiaparelli's work.
  • The exhibition includes over 400 objects, such as garments, accessories, and archival materials.
  • Schiaparelli collaborated with artists including Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau on several designs.
  • The show features both historical pieces and contemporary works by current creative director Daniel Roseberry.
  • Schiaparelli faced espionage accusations during a 1940 American lecture tour amid World War II.
  • Notable items include the 1938 skeleton dress and tears dress, both co-created with Dalí.
  • The exhibition explores Schiaparelli's role in introducing surrealism to London before 1936.
  • It runs through November 8, 2026, at V&A South Kensington.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Victoria and Albert Museum
  • Maison Schiaparelli
  • Schiaparelli fashion house
  • Harper's Bazaar
  • Galeries Lafayette
  • Ballets Russes
  • Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí
  • ADAGP DACS Comite Cocteau
  • GrandPalaisRmn
  • Musée national Picasso
  • The Art Newspaper
  • Vogue
  • British Vogue
  • Women's Wear Daily
  • Time
  • Condé Nast
  • Getty Images
  • Schiaparelli
  • V&A South Kensington
  • Artnet News
  • V&A Sainsbury Gallery
  • House of Schiaparelli
  • V&A
  • Aesthetica Magazine
  • Associated Press
  • CNN
  • New York Times
  • Smithsonian Magazine
  • Musée des Arts Décoratifs
  • Lesage
  • Nebbia
  • Philadelphia Museum of Art
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Sainsbury Gallery
  • DACS
  • PA Media
  • Victoria & Albert Museum

Locations

  • London
  • Paris
  • United Kingdom
  • France
  • Rome
  • Italy
  • New York
  • United States
  • Place Vendôme
  • Deauville
  • Trafalgar Square
  • South Kensington
  • Mayfair
  • Chicago
  • UK
  • 21 Place Vendôme
  • Cannes
  • Festival de Cannes
  • Switzerland

Sources

Related stories