Schiaparelli: Couture and Culture (In Person)
About the event
Join us as we explore the craftsmanship and cultural impact of revolutionary fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, and the fashion house’s ground breaking origins- its founder’s London salon, dynamic clientele and contributions to fine art and stage and screen. Elsa Schiaparelli (1890 – 1973) was one of the world’s most radical fashion designers. Her couture house, the most discussed of interwar Paris, redefined standards of style and perceptions of beauty in the 20th century. You will learn about Schiaparelli’s creative collaborations with artists including Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau, Eileen Agar and Leonor Fini, as well as her costumes for stage and screen worn by performers such as Mae West and Zsa Zsa Gabor and independent clients from Peggy Guggenheim to Josephine Baker and Marlene Dietrich to Helena Rubinstein. We’ll explore celebrated, yet little-seen garments, accessories and jewellery from the history of fashion, including objects in the museum’s own collections. You will also gain an exclusive insight into exhibition-making at the V&A, hearing about the creative process behind Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art. Not able to join us in person? You can also attend the study day online. This study day will not be recorded. For more details on how our courses work, see V&A Academy online questions · V&A. This course is suitable for participants aged 18 and over.
