SCHIAPARELLI: FASHION BECOMES ART
““In difficult times fashion is always outrageous.” ”
In spring 2026, the Victoria and Albert Museum will unveil one of its most anticipated fashion exhibitions to date: Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art, the first major UK exhibition dedicated entirely to the revolutionary fashion house. Running from 28 March to 8 November 2026 in the Sainsbury Gallery, the exhibition offers a sweeping exploration of how Elsa Schiaparelli transformed fashion into a radical artistic language.
Spanning nearly a century—from the bold experimentation of the 1920s to the house’s contemporary resurgence—the exhibition traces how Schiaparelli blurred the boundaries between couture, art, and performance, forever altering the visual and conceptual possibilities of fashion.
Elsa Schiaparelli: Where Fashion Defied Convention
At a time when elegance was defined by restraint, Elsa Schiaparelli chose provocation. Her work embraced wit, illusion, and the unexpected, turning garments into conceptual statements long before the term “conceptual fashion” existed. Rather than treating clothing as mere adornment, Schiaparelli used it as a medium—one capable of humor, subversion, and cultural critique.
The exhibition places Schiaparelli firmly within the avant-garde creative circles of interwar Paris, London, and New York, revealing how her designs were shaped by artistic exchange and intellectual rebellion. As a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry, she not only built one of the most talked-about couture houses of her era, but also redefined what fashion could express.
Surrealism on the Body: Art, Fashion, and Collaboration
One of the exhibition’s central themes is Schiaparelli’s groundbreaking collaborations with artists, most famously the Surrealists. Visitors will encounter iconic works such as the Skeleton Dress, the Tears Dress, and the now-legendary shoe-shaped hat—designs that transformed the human body into a surreal canvas.
Alongside couture, the exhibition includes works by modernist masters including Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and Man Ray, highlighting the cross-disciplinary dialogue that defined Schiaparelli’s vision. Fashion here is not separate from art—it is inseparable from it.
Over 200 Objects Across Fashion, Art, and Design
The exhibition brings together more than 200 objects, offering an immersive look at the full creative universe of Schiaparelli. Garments and accessories sit alongside jewellery, sculpture, photography, furniture, perfume, film references, and archival material. This diversity underscores the house’s boundless imagination and its influence beyond the runway.
A particularly rare focus is given to Schiaparelli’s London presence, spotlighting the brand’s British clientele and Elsa Schiaparelli’s direct involvement in its London operations—an often-overlooked chapter in fashion history.
The House Today: Daniel Roseberry and a Modern Renaissance
The exhibition also bridges past and present by examining the house’s contemporary evolution under creative director Daniel Roseberry. From the historic atelier at Place Vendôme, Roseberry has re-energized Schiaparelli with sculptural silhouettes, anatomical motifs, and bold symbolism that echo Elsa’s surrealist spirit while speaking unmistakably to the present moment.
This modern chapter demonstrates how Schiaparelli remains not just relevant, but influential—continuing to shape fashion, art, and popular culture in the 21st century.
Why This Exhibition Matters Now
In an era defined by uncertainty, Schiaparelli’s philosophy feels newly urgent. As Elsa herself once said, “In difficult times fashion is always outrageous.” This exhibition reminds us that fashion can be fearless, intellectual, and deeply expressive—a tool for challenging norms and imagining new realities.
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art is not only a retrospective, but a statement: that fashion belongs in museums not as costume, but as cultural force.
Exhibition Details
📍 Sainsbury Gallery, V&A South Kensington
🗓 28 March – 8 November 2026
🎟 Accompanied by a new V&A publication