The Victoria and Albert museum is preparing to host the first UK exhibition devoted to the haute couture house Schiaparelli.
From March 21 to November 01, 2026, the retrospective will retrace the history of Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who founded Maison Schiaparelli in the 1920s, to its current rebirth under the creative direction of Daniel Roseberry, offering an overview of the evolution of a style that combined art and fashion radically and innovatively.

Titled "Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art," the exhibition will be staged in the Sainsbury Gallery and feature more than 200 objects, including garments, accessories, jewellery, and paintings, paying attention to the artistic collaborations that have marked his path. Her most famous creations, including the Skeleton dress, the Tears dress, and a hat shaped to look like an upside-down shoe conceived in collaboration with artist Salvador Dalí, will be presented alongside works by Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and Man Ray. Ample space will also be given to the Maison's rarely documented activity in London and to the independent clients who animated that branch.

“Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art will celebrate one of the most ingenious and daring designers in fashion history," said Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A.

With this exhibition, the V&A continues its tradition of narrating fashion as a cultural and artistic phenomenon, paying homage to one of the most revolutionary and unconventional figures of the twentieth century.

Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
March 21 – November 01, 2026
Victoria & Albert Museum
Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL