by Ellie Astill, fashion writer
She was one of the most innovative fashion designers of the 1920s, who transformed women’s wear as we know it. Now, more than 50 years after her death, Elsa Schiaparelli is finally getting the blockbuster exhibition her legacy richly deserves.
With more than 200 archive exhibits, ranging from couture and jewellery to sculpture and scent, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art displays the craftmanship and skill that’s synonymous with her name.
Opening this weekend at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, it’s the first UK show devoted to Schiaparelli and will walk you through the history and creations of the brand, starting from Elsa’s first designs in 1927 through to the brand’s resurrection under the creative directorship of Daniel Roseberry.
Delphine Bellini, CEO of Schiaparelli, said: “This exhibition celebrates her enduring influence through iconic collaborations with 20th-century masters and a pioneering fashion of creativity and commerce. With its unparalleled collections, expertise in fashion and design, cultural reach, and ability to bridge tradition and innovation, the Victoria and Albert Museum offers the perfect setting to showcase her legacy alongside Daniel Roseberry’s creations, which carry her surrealist spirit forward, blurring lines with bold, sculptural designs that both honour and reinvent her vision for a new century.”
Maison Schiaparelli is known for its artistic sensibility, turning ordinary items into innovative clothing, accessories and jewellery because of this unique view on designing, “For me, dress designing is not a profession but an art,” Elsa Schiaparelli once said. This showcase is a perfect representation of her forward-thinking ability when it comes to couture.
The exhibition, staged in the Sainsbury Gallery, will include garments, accessories, jewellery, paintings, photographs, sculpture, furniture and perfumes. The V&A holds some of Schiaparelli’s most radical designs, such as the ‘Skeleton’ dress designed by Elsa and multiple pieces from the 2024 haute couture autumn/winter collection designed by Daniel Roseberry.
Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, said: “Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art will celebrate one of the most ingenious and daring designers in fashion history. The V&A holds one of the largest and most important fashion collections in the world, and the foremost collection of Schiaparelli garments in Britain. Schiaparelli’s collaboration with artists and with the world of performance make the Maison and its founder an ideal subject for a spectacular exhibition at the V&A.”
Tickets are highly sought-after, with the first three weeks of the exhibition already sold out. Book here before it’s too late.
Information
Dates: March 28 to November 8, 2026.
Location: The Sainsbury Gallery at the V&A Museum, South Kensington, London.
Ticket prices: weekdays £28, weekend £30.
