V&A Announces First-Ever UK Schiaparelli Exhibition for 2026

The V&A will stage the first-ever UK exhibition devoted to Elsa Schiaparelli next year, bringing together over 200 objects that celebrate one of the 20th century’s most innovative fashion designers. “Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art” will run from 21 March to 1 November 2026 in the Sainsbury Gallery.

The exhibition spans from the 1920s to the present day, charting the history and impact of the Italian-born designer who redefined the boundaries between fashion and art. It will trace the origins of the house from its first paradigm-shifting garments through to its present-day incarnation under creative director Daniel Roseberry.

Featuring new research by V&A curators, the exhibition positions Schiaparelli at the center of a creative network that included Paris, London, and New York between the two world wars and up to her retirement in 1954. The show will be the first to spotlight the London branch of Schiaparelli, highlighting its dynamic clientele and the founder’s own involvement in the satellite location.

The V&A holds some of Schiaparelli’s most radical designs, including the famous ‘Skeleton’ dress and ‘Tears’ dress, along with a hat shaped like an upside-down shoe, all created in collaboration with Salvador Dalí. The exhibition will also feature artworks by Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Man Ray, reflecting the designer’s extensive artistic collaborations.

The diverse collection will include garments, accessories, jewelry, paintings, photographs, sculpture, furniture, perfumes and archive material. The show will reference Schiaparelli’s popularity in film and theatre productions, demonstrating how her designs transcended traditional fashion boundaries.

Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, said the exhibition will celebrate “one of the most ingenious and daring designers in fashion history.” He noted that the V&A holds the foremost collection of Schiaparelli garments in Britain, making it an ideal venue for such a comprehensive retrospective.

Delphine Bellini, CEO of Schiaparelli, praised the designer’s “fearless imagination and radical vision” that redefined fashion’s relationship with art. She highlighted how the exhibition will showcase both Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy and Daniel Roseberry’s contemporary creations that carry forward her surrealist spirit.

The exhibition has been curated by Sonnet Stanfill, Lydia Caston and Rosalind McKever, with exhibition design by Nebbia. It continues the V&A’s series of major fashion exhibitions, following previous shows on Gabrielle Chanel, Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, and others.

Tickets will go on sale in autumn 2025. The exhibition has been created in close collaboration with the Schiaparelli house and will be accompanied by a new V&A publication.