Schiaparelli : Fashion Becomes Art

Exhibition at the V&A, London, 28 March – 8 November 2026

Elsa Schiaparelli sent shockwaves through the fashion establishment with her witty, ingenious and provocative designs. Lauded by Cristóbal Balenciaga as the ‘only real artist in couture’ she infused her collections with Surrealist influences, and collaborated on pieces with art-world contemporaries including Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí and Alberto Giacometti. She caused a stir at Wimbledon by sending Lilí Álvarez to the 1931 tennis tournament in culottes; she clothed Amy Johnson for her first solo flight to Cape Town; and her ‘lobster’ dress made it into Wallis Simpson’s trousseau.​ ​

This exhibition catalogue traces the origins and legacy of one of fashion’s greatest innovators. It also demonstrates how Elsa’s visual vocabulary runs through Daniel Roseberry’s designs for Schiaparelli like a bright pink thread.