The Professor’s Impossible Ties. The Pier Giovanni Marzili Collection at the Costume Gallery

The Museum of Costume and Fashion dedicates an exhibit to the male accessory par excellence: the tie. The show presents a rich collection of almost a thousand ties, which can be placed chronologically between the 1970’s and today. All of which once belonged to Professor Pier Giovanni Marzili, who, explicitly expressed his wish to donate them to the Gallery.

The tie, which has a strong aesthetic value thanks to the colours, designs, and rich materials of which it is composed, is a precious and sought-after object for collectors; it thereby continues to securely maintain a privileged position within the scope of the world of fashion. The tie sustains one’s image, assigns an identity to the wearer, and distinguishes lifestyles. In the world of textiles, this piece became one of the most complex and articulated, from the moment in which it asserted itself as a modern garment.

In this precious textile jewel, which is almost always made of silk, the textured and the printed surfaces coexist in this way and create a dialogue between one another.

The collection on display is rich in pieces created by famous fashion houses including Leonard, Versace, Fornasetti, Ferragamo, Emilio Pucci, Armani and Mila Schön.

In the exhibition, the pieces are subdivided according to tonality and colour, as well as according to the type of subject depicted in the design: flowers, animals, optical illusions, and subjects reproducing masterpieces of modern and contemporary art.

The Costume Gallery becomes the privileged observatory for this collection.