Elsa Schiaparelli can easily be called one of the 20th century's most innovative fashion designers, yet her pull goes way beyond the beautiful creations she designed for her eclectic clientele to wear. She created a set of visual clues that have shaped much of our aesthetic in the western world and continues to provide a roadmap for personal style and glamour for women, and men, of all ages and financial means.
Lady Gaga, courtesy of Maison Schiaparelli, 2021
Schiaparelli famously said “For me, dress designing is not a profession but an art.” And as such, her creations have gone beyond the beauty of wearing pretty things and looking good in them. A woman who wears Schiaparelli, or any of the fashions by her inspired even at lesser prices, is a woman who makes history. Personally, I can’t help but remember Lady Gaga’s gloriously red, gold and blue Schiaparelli Haute Couture gown (photo above) which she wore to the inauguration of then president-elect Joe Biden. The clothing, that America, those times seem like ages ago and of a world gone by, seemingly never to be seen again.
But Madame Schiaparelli, or should I call her “Signora” since she is a Roman fellow countrywoman of mine, invented many symbols that are used today in fashion shorthand, copied and replicated over and over again. From the eye motif used by Kenzo and Comme des Garçons, to the bugs used by Gucci, even the late grand maestro Alexander McQueen was inspired by her in his use of skulls and bones in his designs.
The eye motif so often used by Schiaparelli, designed by French poet, film director and artist Jean Cocteau, is noteworthy because it has been replicated so often as a catchy, haunting design, most recently as the poster of a film I loved, which opens this weekend in London.
This Saturday, 28 March 2026, the V&A will open the first exhibition ever staged in the UK devoted to Maison Schiaparelli. Spanning the 1920s to the present day, the exhibition charts the history and impact of the designer and what an exhibition this is! Running from March 28th — November 8th, 2026, the exhibition has been curated for the V&A by Sonnet Stanfill, Lydia Caston and Rosalind McKever. It will be accompanied by a new V&A publication. It is worth noting that it has been created in close collaboration with Schiaparelli and the exhibition designer is Nebbia.
I attended a special preview where I took loads of photos (see below) to showcase many of her creations and some of the details. Small things, like that phenomenal gold lamé dress, which when photographed up close has little colored flowers in the fabric and a little beaded red daisy on the neckline. She was also the queen of textures and I caught glimpse of a pair of animal print booties which could have been made yesterday, yet were from the late 30s.
The show is magnificently housed in the Sainsbury Gallery and traces the origins of the House, from its first, paradigm-shifting garments, to its present-day incarnation in the hands of its creative director, Daniel Roseberry, who has been at the helm of the Maison since 2019.
Sir 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."
Along with her infamous collaborations with Cocteau and Salvador Dali, Schiaparelli also commissioned other artists to create works and designs for her advertisements and boutiques, and her friendships inspired many portraits reflecting her eclectic taste, including ones by Man Ray and Cecil Beaton. Also highlighted is her collaborations with Alberto Giacometti, Leonor Fini, Meret Oppenheim, Elsa Triolet and Jean Schlumberger; collaborations which defined her legacy.
Elsa Schiaparelli even designed costumes for British, French, and American stage and film productions. Highlights include a costume designed for Mae West in Every Day's a Holiday (1937). Schiaparelli was also the preferred designer for the personal wardrobes of the era's leading performers, including Marlene Dietrich, who favoured the designer's sharply tailored trouser suits.
Stepping out of the exhibition, I walked through the gift shop, which is always a thrill for me. There I found a couple of stickers which I’ll use on my writing notebooks — there are loads of cool pads to purchase as well and might have to go back for one featuring Elsa herself photographed on the cover! — and when I moved to the main shop in the atrium of the V&A I got a pair of deliciously red beaded earrings with hearts, for £10, minus my Members’ discount of course. I’ll post a photo on IG in the next day or so…
To book tickets and visit the exhibition, check out the V&A’s website.
All images by © E. Nina Rothe, unless otherwise stated, and used with permission.