The Victoria and Albert Museum in London opened its “Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art” exhibition on March 28, pulling together over 200 pieces that blur the line between fashion, art, and design. Expect garments, accessories, paintings, sculptures, furniture, and perfumes from the 1920s to now, all tied to Elsa Schiaparelli’s surrealist edge.
The show spotlights her collaborations with artists like Salvador Dalí, including the 1938 Lobster Dress—a white silk gown with a red lobster appliqué, once worn by Wallis Simpson—and the Skeleton Dress with its bone-like quilting. There’s also Dalí’s Lobster Telephone nearby, plus an evening coat by Jean Cocteau with pink silk roses and profile faces. Curator Rosalind McKever called the Skeleton Dress a “punk look” for 1938 standards, per an AP report.
Modern highlights mix in celebrity red carpet gowns, like Ariana Grande’s ruby-slipper Oscar dress and Bella Hadid’s Cannes look. The AP piece counts 400 objects total, while a Wallpaper tour focuses on how Schiaparelli flipped surrealist motifs—like fragmented body parts in gloves, hats, and shoes—into wearable art that echoes interiors and decor.
Gala Dinner Preview
Two days earlier, on March 26, a VIP gala drew stars in Schiaparelli looks from the Fall 2026 and Spring 2026 collections. Naomie Ackie wore a leather cut-out dress with sculpted waves, Elizabeth Debicki tried a trompe-l’oeil body print gown (which didn’t fully click for critics), and others like Daisy Edgar-Jones and Regina King showed suits and gowns playing on house motifs. Details come from Red Carpet Fashion Awards coverage.
It runs through November 8, as Harper’s Bazaar details what to expect. Museum director Tristram Hunt praised Schiaparelli as one of fashion’s most daring designers.