Foto Locchi archive exhibition traces Italian fashion origins at Palazzo Pitti

An exhibition at Palazzo Pitti in Florence, drawing from the Foto Locchi archive, traces the origins of Italian fashion from the late 19th century to the 1980s. The show highlights the role of local artisans—straw weavers, seamstresses, embroiderers—whose craftsmanship underpinned the industry. The Leghorn straw hat, woven by Florentine peasant women and shipped from Livorno, became a global accessory worn by aristocrats and actresses. From 1952 to 1982, the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti hosted Pitti Immagine fashion shows, documented by Foto Locchi photographers. The images capture designers such as Gucci, Ferragamo, Sorelle Fontana, Colonna di Cesarò, Dior, and Schiaparelli, with audiences including Italian and foreign aristocracy, industrialists, and Hollywood icons like Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn, and Maria Callas. The exhibition reflects on the legacy of that golden era, now challenged by global economic shifts and a more sober fashion climate.