The Victoria and Albert Museum in
London has been trasformed until 27th July into ‘The Glamour of
Italian Fashion’, a magnificent display of the best Italian fashion from 1945
to 2014.
Sponsored by Bulgari, this exhibition
shows off not only with fabulous handmade garments donated by the greatest
Italian fashion designers but also multiple documents related to the topic such
as letters, pictures and even sketches, which help you understand how Italian
fashion has evolved through the second half of the 20th century.
The show starts by explaining how
Italian women dressed more simply during wartime due to poverty and lack of
materials available. Followed by some amazing gowns and cocktail dresses from
the 50s and 60s, it shows the range and skills Italian designers had, being
able to create ready-to-wear collections that looked like sophisticated haute
couture. The lack of materials available metioned before was, undoubtedly, one
of the key factors that forced designers to create clothes made of fabrics and
other unusual materials like woven cellophane, mirror or bamboo.
By
using the original wardrobe of a real Italian and many pieces of clothing from
some 50s films, we can see how fashion in Italy evolves from a more casual
style to an elegant look and becomes quickly popular due to its appearances in
the media by the likes of Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren and other glamorous
Hollywood actresses.
The culmination of this exhibition– and
it could not be otherwise – is a room full of garments created by the current and
most famous Italian brands like Valentino, Prada, Pucci, from the mid-90s to this
year’s AW collection. A slightly negative side of the exhibition was hearing
the designers’ voices with their funny Italian accents giving random comments
on their creations, which did distract you from the actual piece of clothing.
But, like with the fashion displayed, you couldn’t help but feel impressed by
the uniqueness and creativity of all their work.
Overall, I was expecting a good exhibition,
but ‘The Glamour of Italian Fashion’ was truly amazing. With student tickets
only costing £8, the show covers everything one could want to know about
Italian Fashion. My only advice is to be sure you have received your student
loan before paying a visit to the exhibition shop, as it’s hard to resist the opportunity
to buy some tickets for the lectures and workshops they offer about the display
as well as a special edition of Vogue and Harper’s Bazahar and a great number
of books about fashion. A visit to the V&A is essential for any fashion
lovers.
