Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/262375
60 BAL HARBOUR The rise of Italian fashion design is marked with a new exhibition in London. BY TANYA DUKES A LA MODA For anyone who's ever lusted after an Armani suit that slouches just so or a Versace slip that's been artfully slashed thigh-high, it's hardly news that Italy is a source of mood-elevating fashion. How exactly that came to be the case is a lesser-known story. A new exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert Museum—"The Glamour of Italian Fashion: 1945-2014"—will change all that. It traces the world of modern Italian design from its post-war renaissance to this season's breakout young talents. With an unprecedented collection of treasures that ranges from early couture ball gowns to rare pieces shown at Sala Bianca in Florence, the pivotal '50s collections that first put Italy on the fashion map, visitors will get a glimpse of the looks that first challenged Paris for supremacy on the global stage. Some of the high-profile early adopters of those designs were actresses—Audrey Hepburn, Claudette Colbert and Ava Gardner—who shopped while on location in Italy and became walking billboards for the designers. The exhibition also celebrates the origins of Italian icons: family-run Missoni brought the world bright, sporty and much-imitated zigzag knits, while Rubinacci contributed to making Neapolitan bespoke tailoring a byword for masculine elegance. One of the exhibition's sponsors, Bulgari, contributed a dose of glitz to the mix, including a diamond, platinum and emerald necklace once owned by Elizabeth Taylor. It's not just polished runway confections that get all the glory. The exhibition gives its due to the unsung elements that conspire to make Italian style so desirable. Textile manufacturers and exporters that are responsible for sumptuous fabrics used in Italy and beyond share the spotlight with behind-the-scenes experts in crafts like dyeing and weaving. Also on display are the influential, stylized, black-and-white advertising campaigns photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri produced for Gianfranco Ferré, and edgy and charged Benetton ads that showed more political provocation than clothing. Spring 2014 catwalk pieces by fresh faces like Fausto Puglisi and Valentino's powerhouse design team Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli are a dazzling final flourish that might inspire a post-show shopping spree. They're definite proof that there's plenty of young Italian talent to create the next generation of wardrobe necessities. PHOTOS © VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The first Italian runway presentation at Sala Bianca in Florence in 1955; an embroidered evening dress designed by Mila Schön in 1966; Dolce & Gabbana embroidered booties; Valentino Garavani with models, circa 1967.