Schiaparelli’s Century of Influence Lands at the Victoria & Albert Museum

Schiaparelli’s surreal vision is set to take center stage in the UK as London’s Victoria and Albert Museum prepares to host ‘Fashion Becomes Art’, the first-ever British exhibition dedicated to the legendary Italian Maison. Opening in March 2026 and running through November, the exhibit promises a rare and intimate look into the creative cosmos of Elsa Schiaparelli, one of fashion’s most radical visionaries.

Spanning nearly a century of innovation, the exhibition will feature over 200 curated pieces from couture and accessories to paintings, photography, sculpture, perfume, and archival treasures shedding light on Schiaparelli’s explosive impact on fashion and art. From her early days in Paris to her global influence in London and New York, the story unfolds across borders and generations.

The show will spotlight Schiaparelli’s historic London operations, her elite British clientele, and her landmark collaborations with artistic legends like Salvador Dalí. Iconic pieces such as the Skeleton Dress and Tears Dress once dismissed as avant-garde oddities—are now framed as revolutionary moments in design history.

From the golden age of the 1930s to its bold revival under creative director Daniel Roseberry, the house of Schiaparelli continues to fuse couture with surrealism, drama with elegance. Roseberry, who has lent his voice and vision to the exhibition, ensures that the dialogue between past and present remains alive, provocative, and deeply relevant.

With Fashion Becomes Art, the V&A isn’t just showcasing a fashion archive it’s presenting a legacy that dared to dream differently.

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