Fashion meets art: V&A exhibition celebrates Schiaparelli’s bold legacy

Fashion has long existed in close dialogue with art, with designers frequently drawing inspiration from history’s greatest creative minds. With its technical mastery and avant-garde ambition, many argue that fashion deserves recognition alongside traditional art forms such as painting and sculpture.

A major new exhibition at Victoria and Albert Museum in London highlights this connection in a compelling way. Titled “Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art,” the show celebrates the groundbreaking work of Elsa Schiaparelli, presenting her designs as works that carry the same cultural weight as fine art while questioning beauty standards and the purpose of clothing.

Schiaparelli’s influence, forged in the early 20th century, continues to resonate today. Nearly a century later, her successor at the fashion house, Daniel Roseberry, builds on her legacy by blending bold creativity with modern celebrity culture, reshaping ideas of female power and beauty. The exhibition places their works side by side, demonstrating how provocative design can challenge conservative norms.

Born into an intellectual and aristocratic family in Rome, Schiaparelli had no formal fashion training, yet her designs stood apart for their daring originality. While contemporaries like Coco Chanel and Christian Dior pursued simplicity or elegance, Schiaparelli embraced the unexpected, often venturing into what others might consider strange or even shocking.

Her creations ranging from surreal accessories to unconventional garments reflected a playful yet philosophical approach to design. She challenged norms with imaginative concepts, asking questions through fashion: What if a shoe could be worn as a hat? What if clothing could provoke laughter, discomfort, or deep reflection?

This spirit of innovation gave her work cultural relevance during the upheaval of pre-World War II Europe, particularly in traditionally minded Paris. Today, Roseberry continues that approach, as seen in the exhibition’s final room, where boundary-pushing pieces from a model holding a robot baby to a striking red gown—demonstrate how fashion can provoke thought and push culture forward, rather than simply appeal to conventional tastes.