A major Schiaparelli exhibition is coming to the V&A London in 2026

In 2026, the V&A Museum will present Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art, the first major exhibition in the UK focused on Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Opening at the Sainsbury Gallery in March, the exhibition will trace the development of the House of Schiaparelli from the 1920s to its recent revival under current creative director Daniel Roseberry. Schiaparelli’s approach to fashion combined art and couture and contributed to changes in ideas about beauty and style during the 20th century.

Visitors will be able to explore the designer’s work in the context of her interest in art, performance and contemporary culture. The exhibition will include recent curatorial research and examine Schiaparelli’s work with artists such as Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso and Man Ray. The V&A’s ‘Skeleton’ and ‘Tears’ dresses will feature, alongside jewellery and hats, including the well-known shoe hat, which questioned typical fashion expectations.

Ankle-length coat of black silk jersey with facial profiles forming a rose-filled vase, Elsa Schiaparelli, Jean Cocteau and Lesage, London, 1937 (c) Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The exhibition will include over 200 objects such as garments, paintings, photographs, sculptures and perfume. It will also consider Schiaparelli’s London studio, her work with clients in Britain, and her position as a businesswoman. Delphine Bellini, chief executive of Schiaparelli, said the exhibition recognises both the history of the fashion house and its recent direction under Roseberry.

Set within one of the world’s leading fashion collections, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Artreflects the V&A’s aim to explore the cultural role of design. The exhibition looks at Schiaparelli’s ideas and the ways in which they continue to influence the fashion house today.

Date: 21 March – 1 November 2026. Location: Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL. Price: Tickets will go on sale in Autumn 2025. vam.ac.uk