The Victoria and Albert Museum in London opened Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art on Saturday, pulling together 400 pieces from a century of the fashion house’s surreal designs. Museum director Tristram Hunt called it a celebration of one of fashion’s most daring designers, as noted in an Associated Press report.
Key Pieces on Display
The show spotlights collaborations like Salvador Dalí’s Lobster Telephone from 1938, shown next to the matching Lobster Dress—a white silk gown with a red lobster that Wallis Simpson wore. There’s also the Skeleton Dress, black with 3D quilting mimicking bones, which curator Rosalind McKever described as shocking for its time, almost punk-like.
- Evening coat with pink silk roses by Jean Cocteau.
- Ariana Grande’s ruby-slipper ball gown from last year’s Oscars.
- Jewelry, buttons, and perfume bottles treated as art objects.
Elsa Schiaparelli started in Paris in 1927 with trouser suits and whimsical shoes, dressing stars like Marlene Dietrich. Today’s creative director Daniel Roseberry keeps the drama alive with sculptural looks for celebrities like Margot Robbie.
Celebrity Gala Dinner
The launch included a gala dinner at the V&A, where stars turned up in fancy outfits. A Tom + Lorenzo red carpet rundown covers looks from Daisy Edgar-Jones, Elizabeth Debicki, Naomi Ackie, Regina King, and Rina Sawayama—some clever, some tricky fits.
The exhibition runs through November 8.