At Palazzo Pitti the 20th century showcased in 40 dreamlike dresses

A new arrangement at the museum of Costume and Fashion, nine newly opened rooms with many never-before-seen garments, that recount the styles of the past century, from the Charleston of the 1920s to the dazzling '80s of Enrico Coveri, passing through the breathtaking creations of Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, and Roberto Capucci.

A century of fashion, from the liveliness of the Charleston to the daz-zling '80s of Enrico Coveri, passing through the breathtaking creations of Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin and Roberto Capucci. The new arrangement by the Museum of Costume and Fashion at Palazzo Pitti narrates this story through 40 dresses, emblematic of the world's finest tailoring (many of which have never been show-cased), engaging elegantly with works by 20th-century painting masters such as Galileo Chini, Felice Casorati, and Alberto Burri.
Exactly one year after the Gallery's complete renovation and subsequent total reopening, the twentieth-century selection is displayed in rotation to present the public with a new enchanting chapter in costume history. The museum boasts a collection of 15,000 historical garments and accessories from the eighteenth century to the present day.

The first of the new spaces, dedicated to the ‘Charleston fashion’ between avant-garde and exoticism, opens the new selection: Galileo Chini's remarkable Triptych turns the room into a dramatic scene reminiscent of Puccini, with the dress worn by the painter's wife at the premiere of Turandot at Milan's Teatro La Scala on 25 April 1926. On display additional dresses crafted from fine silks and adorned with decorative motifs inspired by China, Japan and India, that illustrate how Orientalism was closely linked with the flappers' desire for emancipation and experimentation — young women of the era who defied convention.
Following this are two rooms dedicated to fashion spanning the period between the wars, featuring a striking collection of clothing that reflects Deco culture, avant-garde tendencies, rationalism, and the cinematic glamour of the 1930s. In this setting, Felice Casorati's painting, Lo straniero (The Stranger), acts as a counterpoint to the works of Elsa Schiaparelli and Madeleine Vionnet.
The arrangement continues with a journey through post-war fashion, featuring an exceptionally rare dress by the young Yves Saint Laurent, appointed as creative director of the prestigious Maison after Christian Dior's passing in 1957, and three dresses, including a Gattinoni, that belonged to Ingrid Bergman.
This leads to three rooms wholly dedicated to the Sixties and Seventies of the twentieth century.

Attention then turns to Roberto Capucci, one of the most daring and innovative figures in Italian fashion. In a time dominated by the youth revolution, the miniskirt, and the influx of prêt-à-porter, he remained faithful to an almost architectural and sculptural approach to clothing, which brought him international recognition.
An 'explosive' finale with Enrico Coveri, whose use of sequins in the 1980s became emblematic of his dazzling, ironic, and unconventional approach to fashion.

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