Introduction

Memoirs of an Artist

Flowers. The Colours of Nature

Weaves

Etchings

Formal Archetypes

Graphisms

Graphic Abstraction

Dots

Complementary Shapes

New Architectures

Volumes and Folds

Confetti in Light

Credits

The new arrangement of the Museum of Costume and Fashion – presented here digitally – was sparked by the desire to try out a combination of itineraries, highlighting the common critical elements shared by various artistic languages.

This non-chronological presentation was part of a bid to foster a different vision of the works, an experiment in interpretation that encourages the public to participate even only based on their interest in the online presentation, an initial, extremely brief analysis that should lead to further causes for interpretation and subsequent in-depth considerations.

Indeed, the itinerary and the elements it hosts have been positioned in such a way as to reintroduce the visitor to these harmonies of different languages composed of style, beauty but also the contrast with the previous cultural experiences.

The works were selected according to the correspondence of the forms and decorative elements of the garments themselves and of the latter with the paintings and sculptures, almost for fun, as if we had created containers, each one corresponding to an individual section where to add similar images from the formal and sometimes conceptual point of view.

All the protagonists of the event (clothes, accessories, paintings and sculptures) dialogue with one another and with their own images, reflected in the mirrors which characterise the arrangement, in the ‘real’ exhibition on view at the Museum of Costume and Fashion starting from 19 December 2017, in an atmosphere that enthrals visitors, engaging them in this game of forms and colours.

This itinerary had already been ‘traced’ in the previous selections, when the Gallery of Modern Art offered paintings and sculptures which were displayed as silent presences, to such a degree that only a particularly expert gaze was capable of perceiving their relationship with clothes and accessories, as well as their mere function of elements used to furnish the space. This time, all the works exhibited play the same leading role.

Moreover, the word ‘trace’ in its many different meanings already has a root whose etymon should lead us, in parallel, to pursue elements that appear similar but are different, and which are generated and develop in the same historical and cultural climate. The kind of traces that can be identified in different forms of language and which are capable of generating amazement for their nearly on target suggestions and creative analogies.

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The tour commences with the bold scenography presented by the imposing male nudes, painted by Emilio Ambron in 1927, and with the Portrait of Andreana Peruzzi de’ Medici. The portrait’s beautiful subject is wearing a simple dress that glides downwards into wide folds, almost like strips of colour that together create the idea of a wide, multi-coloured corolla. She is accompanied by the portrait of her husband, the Marchese Ridolfo, also painted by Alberto Magnelli.

After these solemn presences, we meet with the almost timid presence of a model from the early ‘60s realized by Cesare Guidi: an Evening Dress that, while opening out into a soft v-neck and enlarging in a full skirt below the hips, narrows down to a closed hem, almost as if to form a shell around the body. Alongside is a floaty creation by Lanvin, inspired by the Japanese style, both in the kimono shape and the black floral design, floating over an ivory background. This introduces the next section, together with a sartorial dress from the 1950s and an outfit with cape by Pino Lancetti, entirely decorated with printed and woven flowers.

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Emilio Ambron

Rome 1905-1996

Study of a male nude

1926-1927

Oil on canvas

Donated by C. Ambron, 1999

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Emilio Ambron

Rome 1905-1996

Study of a male nude

1926-1927

Oil on canvas

Donated by C. Ambron, 1999

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Alberto Magnelli

Florence 1888 – Meudon (France) 1971

Portrait of the Marchesa Andreana

1913

Oil on canvas

Bequeathed by Zena Peruzzi de’ Medici, 2012

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Alberto Magnelli

Florence 1888 – Meudon (France) 1971

Portrait of Marchese Ridolfo Peruzzi de’ Medici

1913

Oil on canvas

Bequeathed by Zena Peruzzi de’ Medici, 2012

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Cesare Guidi

Evening dress

Sella Collection 1959

Silk grosgrain

TA 5417

Donated by Associazione Tornabuoni – Linea Più

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Leonor Fini

Buenos Aires (Argentina) 1908 – Paris (France) 1996

Nude

1930

Oil on canvas

Gift from Ambron, 1956

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Arrigo Minerbi

Ferrara 1881 – Padua 1960

Spring Morning

1919

Torso cast in bronze and white plaster

Chini bequest, 1952

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Jeanne Lanvin

Robe-style dress

River 2004

Silk satin embroidered with black silk chain stitch with tufts of silk thread to create the pistils

GGC 7235

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Sartoria Piera Filippini Milan

Cocktail dress with underskirt

1954 ca.

Brocade velvet on a backing of laminated interfacing with appliqué sequins, underskirt in tulle and lycra, with high flounce in taffeta

GCC 8832

Donated by Milena Polacco

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Pino Lancetti Roma

Outfit: Bodice, skirt, cape and sash

Autumn/Winter 1977-78

Figured satin, laminated with gold thread and printed in multi-coloured flowers

TA 3254

Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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A floral homage covering a wide timescale, such as the oriental-influenced decoration on the outfit by Irene Galitzine, through to the flower prints by Comme des Garçons. Due to the free style used in their making, both the tailcoat and the vest have contributed to breaking down stereotypes in the fashion world, a characteristic for which the Japanese brand stands out. And all this under the distracted, introspective gaze of two mysterious female figures: The Gorgons by Domenico Trentacoste, once antefixa for a fireplace.

The female body, with its soft, round forms, as shown in the nudes by Leonor Fini and Arrigo Minerbi, has an excellent ally in the fabrics used to dress it and the ornaments that decorate it. Flowers are widely used for this purpose, and in all shapes and forms, they are among the best-loved protagonists.

Like in the multi-coloured floral universe of Dior, almost a paradise lost, flowers, from mere images on display, become ever-changing shapes that shift as the seasons pass, both in the painting by Sergio Scatizzi and on the bouffant Dior dress.

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Domenico Trentacoste

Palermo 1856 – Florence 1933

Woman’s head

1903 ca.

High relief in plaster

Donated by Fernanda Ojetti, 1933

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Domenico Trentacoste

Palermo 1856 – Florence 1933

Woman’s head

1903 ca.

High relief in plaster

Donated by Fernanda Ojetti, 1933

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Irene Galitzine Rome

Two-piece outfit: Dress and jacket with belt

1962

Printed silk with beading

TA 3898/9

Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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Gianfranco Ferré for Dior Couture

Evening dress

“Au vent léger d’un été” Collection; Spring/ Summer 1992

Silk organza and satin

GGC 8709

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Comme des Garçons

Tailcoat

Spring/Summer 2004

Cotton twill, polyester, wool

GGC 6878

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Comme des Garçons

Vest

Spring/Summer 2004

Printed cotton denim, polyester, wool

GGC 6879

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Sergio Scatizzi

Gragnano (Lucca) 1918 – Florence 2009

Flowers

1959-1960

Oil on hardboard

Donated by the artist, 1998

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One of the designers who works with this ‘play’ on shapes, with these weaves in raffia, ribbons and lace, is Gianfranco Ferré, a refined artist who has experimented a great deal, making various styles his own by filtering them through his own creative eye, to bring genuine masterpieces to life. This room is a wonderful expression of his ability to work with variations on a theme and to develop them, taking a genuinely experimental approach, thanks to his infinite repertoire of different languages.

In the same room, there is the Sea creature painted by Romano Campagnoli, representing a living form, a kind of wreck that has survived in a spectacular, abstract vision, inspired by his years of study with Felice Casorati.

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Gianfranco Ferré

Prêt-à-porter dress

Autumn/Winter 1992-93

Crepe silk and gold lace

TA 7456

Donated by Gianfranco Ferré

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Gianfranco Ferré

Couture dress

Spring/Summer 1989

Silk cady and raffia

TA 7487

Donated by Gianfranco Ferré

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Gianfranco Ferré

Couture bodysuit and skirt

Spring/Summer 1989

Bodysuit in tulle and beading, lace, tulle and organza skirt

TA 7472/73

Donated by Gianfranco Ferré

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Romano Campagnoli

Turin 1934 - Carpi (Modena) 2009

Sea creature

1967 ca.

Oil on canvas

Purchased at the XVIII Mostra Internazionale d’Arte del Fiorino, Florence, 1967

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Gianfranco Ferré

Couture dress

Spring/Summer 1989

Shantung silk, mesh, organza, raffia, and sequins

TA 7485

Donated by Gianfranco Ferré

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Philip Treacy Londra

Hat

Spring/Summer 1993

Straw, polyester, metal mesh

GGC6835

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Gualtiero Nativi, the most lyrical exponent of classic abstract, presents this image as a painful reflection on the perception of a possible lack of communication between the different trends of contemporary culture, leading to a sort of extraneousness not unlike the atmospheres painted by Casorati.

This can be seen on a purely formal level in the use of subtly overlaid gold- and silver-coloured materials that crisscrossing the dress to create undulating, floating lines which in Marras are put together to explode in silver silicone inflorescences, faithful to his way of treating materials and techniques, never taking their classical usage into account. Differently, through her decorations, Mila Schön confirms her clear, elegant detachment from the exaggerated disorder of Seventies fashion.

The Diaphragm by Bruno Benelli, an element cast in iron, shows that while the creations of the fashion world – dresses, accessories, bags, shoes and belts – all made use of different metals in the period 1960-70, the same sort of use was also making headway in the language of sculpture.

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Mirko Basaldella

Udine 1910 – Cambridge (Massachusetts) 1969

Judith

Cast bronze figurine

Premio Carmine at the XVII Mostra Internazionale d’Arte del Fiorino Florence, 1966

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Gualtiero Nativi

Pistoia 1921 – Greve in Chianti (Florence) 1996

Laceration

1959

Oil on canvas

Purchased at the XI Mostra Internazionale d’Arte del Fiorino, Florence, 1960

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Mila Schön

Evening dress

Autumn/Winter 1967-68

Tulle embroidered with glass tube beads and rhinestones

TA 3916

Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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Mila Schön

Evening dress

1966/67

Silk cady with gold and anthracite grey beading

GGC 8667

Donated by Chiara Boni

Provenance Maria Teresa Masetti Fedi

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Antonio Marras

Dress

Adelasia di Torres Collection (Il sale), Autumn/Winter 1998/99

Lurex gauze with appliqué design in plastic (?) and silver varnish, joined by floating white cotton threads

TA 13363

Donated by Gianfranco Grimaldi

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Bruno Benelli

Sesto Fiorentino (Florence) 1943

Diaphragm

1971 ca.

Cast element in aged iron

Purchased at the XX Biennale Internazionale d’arte Premio del Fiorino, 1971

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In this room, the late work by Mirko Basaldella is the atavistic image of a Judith, almost a primitive totem of sharp elements that show off their corrosion in what is almost a formal clash between archaic bisectors and modern languages.

While in his Portrait of a lady in a fur coat from 1939, Oreste Zuccoli shows an obvious v-neck, together with a lengthy opening in a black cardigan, architect Savioli, in his river landscape with its colour dilutions, comes close to the tones of the Balmain dress, due to the depth of the orange that softens towards the hem with a wide feathery trim.

The clothes by Roberto Cavalli represent his early years working with leather and then making a name for himself with his animal prints which can also be seen in the nature-inspired feathers printed on fabrics and seen as if through a zoom lens. Both of these are archetypal of the designer’s work, while the feathers and the pleated red organza preserve all of the light, airy elegance of the first classic Balmain, who was in fact moving towards the decline of his professional career.

Archetypal shapes are reflected in the ostrich skin outfit by Paco Rabanne, in a style that is definitely more traditional than his typical creations that overturned entire concepts of fashion. Rabanne, who became established in the 60s, stated that:

“Creation has to be a game, since fashion is useless. But since society forces us to change it continuously, then let’s change it quickly and never stop inventing the craziest things! Basically, I want to accelerate decomposition“.

In the same section is a leather jacket by Ferré, which is reminiscent of a piece of armour, and a Fendi sheepskin and horsehair coat with an archaic, primitive feel.

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Gianfranco Ferré

Prêt-à-porter jacket

Spring/Summer 1993

Leather with metal buckles

GGC 6847

Donated by Cecilia  Matteucci Lavarini

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Guido Pasquali

Boots

1970 ca.

Leather

GGC 6814

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Paco Rabanne

Suit: jacket and skirt 

Autumn/Winter 1991-1992

Ostrich skin

GGC  7263

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Fendi Rome

Coat

1995 ca.

Reverse sheepskin and horsehair

TA  8927

Donation and Provenance: Gabriella Alessi

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Oreste Zuccoli

Florence 1889 - 1980

Portrait of a lady in a fur coat

1939

Oil on canvas

Purchased at the XXII Venice Art Biennale, 1940

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RAM (Ruggero Alfredo Michahelles)

Firenze 1898-1976

Velvet hat

Oil on canvas

1927

Purchased from Amalia Michahelles, 1998

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Leonardo Savioli

Florence 1917 - 1982

River landscape

1939

Oil on paperboard

Donated by Flora Wiechmann Savioli, 1997

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Pierre Balmain Haute Couture

Evening dress 

1970 ca.

Silk, ostrich featheers

GGC 6837

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Roberto Cavalli

2-piece outfit: skirt and blouse

Spring Summer 2001

Printed silk crêpe

TA 8907

Donated by Gabriella Alessi

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Roberto Cavalli

Evening dress

1975 ca.

Printed silk, printed leather, metal and rhinestone fastening

TA 8903

Donated by Gabriella Alessi

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Roberto Cavalli

Outfit: tunic and trousers

1975 ca.

Leather, rhinestones

TA 8916

Donated by Gabriella Alessi

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Pierre Balmain Paris

Hat

1960 ca.

Feather, veil

TA 6968

Donated by Laura Barbi

Provenance Gertie Schwarzenbach

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Cristobal Balenciaga

Hat

1960 ca.

Mallard feathers and velvet

TA 6967

Donated by Laura Barbi

Provenance Gertie Schwarzenbach

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Modisteria Biancalani

Headgear

1966 ca.

Marabou feathers and taffeta

TA 6842

Donated by Carlo Olivieri

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A graphic stroke glides, stops, and resumes, like the fountain pen on the dress attributed to the extraordinary talent of Elsa Schiaparelli, who interpreted these bold, imaginative strokes; or the wave motif, as repeated on the dress from the “Palio” collection by Emilio Pucci. And while the graphic marks of Florentine designer Chiara Boni take us full on into Pop Art, it is interesting to look at the affinities between an outfit decorated in complementary tile patterns by Valentino and one that repeats “Mondrian-style” graphic design by Emilio Schuberth, both inspired by an abstract repertoire, black on white and white on black.

A silvery pattern decorates the bodice of a cocktail dress by fashion designer and photographer Karl Lagerfeld. A calm sense of contrast comes from the evening dress by Forquet, where a dark decorative strip is wound to form parallel lines along the whole length.

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Elsa Schiaparelli

Dress

1946 ca

Printed silk

TA 3880

Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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Emilio Pucci, Palio Collection

Wave Contrada dress

Spring/Summer 1957

Printed cotton

TA 6143

Donated by Emilio Pucci

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Chiara Boni

Kway Shirt,You Tarzan/me Jane collection

1974

Polyacetate and polyamide, polyamide, nylon

GGC 8669

Donated by Chiara Boni

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Chiara Boni

Jacket, You Tarzan/me Jane collection

1974

Polyester, polyamide and nylon

GGC 8702

Donated by Chiara Boni

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Karl Lagerfeld

Cocktail dress

1975

Viscose with synthetic foil appliqué

TA 8024

Donated by Associazione Amici della Galleria del Costume

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Valentino

Two-piece outfit: dress and jacket

1967

Wool jacket and printed silk dress

TA 3909/10

Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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The room containing the weaves by Roberta di Camerino, the trompe l’oeil couturier, is an excellent setting for the dense, lively abstract art placed in flat frames, emerging from the black ribbon in relief that defines the work by Mario Nuti, using the cultured, essential expression that he had identified in 1950, the year of the first experiments in abstract art in Florence.

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Forquet

Evening dress

1968

Silk with tubular bead appliqués

TA 6519

Donation and Provenance: Anna Bozza

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Roberta di Camerino, Venice

Dress, Gallo Frecciato model

1975-76

Polyester jersey

TA 6861

Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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Gherardini

Jacket

1985-90

Silk satin

GCC 2795

Donated by Susanna Gherardini

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Missoni e Wolford

Stockings

2006

Nylon

GGC 6823

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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The room containing the weaves by Roberta di Camerino, the trompe l’oeil couturier, is an excellent setting for the dense, lively Abstract art enshrined in flat frames, like the black ribbon in relief that defines the work by Mario Nuti, by using the cultured, essential expression that he had identified in 1950, the year of the first experiments in Abstract art in Florence.

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Mario Nuti

Florence 1923-1996

Composition

1950

Oil on canvas

Donated by Nicola Nuti, 2001

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Roberta di Camerino, Venice

Dress, Gallo Frecciato model

1975-76

Polyester jersey

TA 6861

Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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Roberta di Camerino

Treccia Umbrella

1975-76

Wooden handle, metal struts, polyester fabric

TA 6856

Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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Roberta di Camerino, Venice

Treccia foulard 

1975-76

Silk 

TA 6855

Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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Perfect, circular shapes, like the straw hat worn by the Girl in the Sun by Chiappelli. They don’t set a trend because they have been there forever: shapes that are classic and abstract at the same time. Circles and dots are decorative features that never go out of fashion, thanks to their certain, perfect repetitiveness. They invade and expand, overcoming fabrics on the boutique designs of Valentino, although Ferré too, makes good use of dots. This Forquet minidress seems to show the metamorphosis of an immense dot into a comma, a stylised design of the cashmere motif. On the Capucci dress, a dotted silk fabric highlights the complex shape of the central front section.

In the same room, an entry by young Swiss artist Walter Linck for the Mostra dell’Unione Fiorentina exhibition (better known as the “Fiorino”, which only opened to sculpture in 1959), a small geometric composition entitled Composition - Lyrics and Sign (1952-1963), which plays on the materials and perfection of small round elements that create lines and volumes.

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Valentino Boutique

Evening dress

1990 ca.

Silk with sequin appliqués

GGC 7297

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Valentino

Coat

1988 ca.

Silk satin with sequin appliqués

GGC 7310

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Walter Linck

Bern (Switzerland) 1903 – Zollikofen (Switzerland) 1975

Composition - Lyrics and sign

1952 -63

Composition cast in iron and steel

Purchased at the XVI Mostra Internazionale Premio del Fiorino, Florence, 1965

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Roberto Capucci Rome

Serpentine dress

Spring Summer 1982

Gros de Tours and printed silk

TA 1951

Donated by the Florence Centre for Italian Fashion

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Gianfranco Ferré

Outfit: jacket, T-shirt and skirt

Spring Summer 1988

Textured cotton with appliqués and embroidery

TA 7507/09

Donated by Gianfranco Ferré

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Forquet

Dress

1968

Wool fabric

TA 6538

Provenance Anna Bozza

Donated by Paolo Bozza

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Francesco Chiappelli

Pistoia 1890 – Florence 1947

Girl in the Sun

1932

Oil on canvas

Purchased from the artist, 1937

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Italian manufacture

Hat

1980 ca.

Felt

TA 13442

Donated by Luciana Chiostri Corsi

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The exponents of classic Abstract art, although all different, are nonetheless a great source of talent in the quest for new languages. Evidence of this common research can be found in the long partnership (1952-1959) between designer Emilio Pucci and Alvaro Monnini and his wife, Micol De Palma, who drew for the designer, bringing their trademark style into the atelier, and making it the vocation of the whole group.

In line with designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, whose autumn-winter collection for 1964-65 was inspired by the Constructivism of Mondrian, geometric patterns became the graphic repertoire of many couturiers and designers, with different, customised approaches, such as the various expressive methods used by Emilio Pucci and Roberta di Camerino, both illustrious exponents of Made in Italy. Here, the geometric style of Roberta di Camerino is put to work in a three-dimensional model taken applied to a two-dimensional design, with a particular trompe l’oeil effect.

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Alvaro Monnini

Florence 1922 – Milan 1987

Composition

1948

Oil on canvas

Donated by Micol di Palma Monnini, 1996

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Emilio Pucci Firenze

Evening dress and two foulards in silk

Spring/Summer 1981

Printed silk organza

TA 6177

Donated by Emilio Pucci

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Emilio Pucci

Dress

1965

Silk sweater with fringe

TA 6287

Donated by Nicoletta Pucci

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Roberta di Camerino

Herringbone Sciarpone dress

1976-77

Polyester jersey

TA 6852

Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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Missoni

Barbaros model playsuit

Spring/Summer 1973

Ban lon artificial silk dress

TA 6620

Donated by Anna Bozza

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Every dress becomes three-dimensional when worn, and it follows the structure of the body, almost turning it into an architectural element. This is most clearly seen when there are certain interventions in place, such as on the impeccable 1940s dress, made in Tortona which, although a severe design, is still able to highlight the feminine aspects of a woman’s figure: the hips, waist and bust, with the shoulders carefully supported. It has a compact form and historically, it is poles apart from the corsets of Jean Paul Gaultier. Pierre Cardin builds a structure that alludes to the body, but it imprisons it too, without making too many allowances for its shape. Similar characteristics can be found on the coat of the first Capucci. Even in the sketch for the new Autostrada del Sole motorway by Antonio Antony De Witt, the open and closed shapes, and the light and shade are added following the same formal idea of Pierre Cardin.

Rosaiano from the beginning, Nino Tirinnanzi depicts the church of Cestello in a leaden setting, with all the shades of grey, like the layered veil dress designed by Jean Paul Gaultier for Gibò.

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Every dress becomes three-dimensional when worn, and it follows the structure of the body, almost turning it into an architectural element. This is most clearly seen when there are certain interventions in place, such as on the impeccable 1940s dress, made in Tortona which, although being a severe design, is still able to highlight the feminine aspects of a woman’s figure: the hips, waist and bust, with the shoulders carefully supported. Historically, it is poles apart from the compact corsets by Jean Paul Gaultier. Pierre Cardin builds a structure that alludes to the body, but it imprisons it too, without making too many allowances for its shape. Similar characteristics can be found on the coat of the first Capucci. Even in the sketch for the new Autostrada del Sole motorway by Antonio Antony De Witt, open and closed shapes, as well as lights and shades are added following the same formal idea of Pierre Cardin.

Influenced by Rosai from the beginning of his career, Nino Tirinnanzi depicts the church of Cestello in a dull grey setting, with all the shades of grey, like the layered veil dress designed by Jean Paul Gaultier for Gibò.

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Pierre Cardin

Dress with underskirt

1960

Silk, plastic, rhinestones

TA 13400

Donated by Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Cambiano

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Antonio Paolo Antony De Witt

Livorno 1876 - 1967

Autostrada del Sole, sketch

1961

Oil on cloth-centred board

Donated by Sigfrid Ferrè De Witt (Legate), 1981

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Capucci Paris

Outfil: dress and coat

1965

Wool fabric and silk

TA 3911/12

Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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Gucci

Bamboo model bag

1965

Leather, bamboo, and metal

TA 5448

Donated by Associazione Tornabuoni - Linea Più

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Roberta di Camerino

Bagonghi model trunk bag

1960 ca.

Silk velvet, leather, metal

TA 6871

Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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Gherardini

Bag

1968-69

Suede with metal handle

GGC 2812

Donated by Susanna Gherardini

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Jean Paul Gaultier for Gibò, Florence

Dress

Spring Summer 1987

Elastomer, polyamide

TA 7870

Donated by the Florence Centre for Italian Fashion

Provenance: Antiques Market

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Nino Tirinnanzi

Greve in Chianti (Florence) 1923 – Florence 2002

Cestello Church

1954

Oil on canvas

Purchased at the V Mostra Internazionale Premio del Fiorino, Florence, 1954

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Tortona Manufacture

Suit

1940 ca.

Cotton shantung

TA 7417

Donated by Enrico Quinto and Paolo Tinarelli

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Franco Moschino

Jacket from Cruise me baby collection

Spring/Summer 1993

Sequins, beads, silk

TA 8763

Dono Cecilia Torricelli

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Sandra Brunetti

Rome 1925

Self Portrait

1979

Oil on panel

Donated by the artist, 1979

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The solid terracotta figure of the imposing girl from Seano by Quinto Martini is moulded using clear-cut, severe shapes, with synthetically defined surfaces similar to the minimalist and rational tones of the ultra-fine pleating used by Japanese designer Issey Miyake, as well as of the contrasting volumes by Yohji Yamamoto.

Mario Reggiani’s painting belongs to the latter part of his career; the yellow composition dating back to 1955 has, in its cuts, the same volumetric depths as found in the deep folds of the evening dress by Alma Maria Lami, to which it is related also thanks to the gradually accentuated reds, through to garnet.

The Ophelia by Alimondo Ciampi uses bronze with textured, chiaroscuro surfaces to give us the image of a young woman abandoned, with limbs completely still.

This section is dedicated to dresses that go beyond the wearer’s body to become almost natural, thanks to the folds that open out onto the space around them. These are contrasted with the outfits by Issey Miyake, which wholly envelop the body. The folds created by Maurizio Galante and the Bernardelli dressmakers in a dress from a pattern by Christian Dior are shown in full expansion, like in the coat by Junko Shimada, where the folds seem to rise up to the point that they deform the body.

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Mauro Reggiani

Nonantola (Modena) 1897 – Milan 1980

Composition in yellow

1955

Oil on canvas

Purchased at the VI Mostra Internazionale Premio del Fiorino, Florence, 1955

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Roberto Capucci Rome

Evening dress, Involucri model

Spring Summer 1982

Combination of different silk weaves (luisine, plain)

TA 1952

Donated by the Florence Centre for Italian Fashion

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Sartoria Teresa Bernardelli from a model by Dior

Dress

1984

Luisine silk, nylon gauze

GGC 6838

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Alimondo Ciampi

San Mauro a Signa (Florence) 1876 - 1939

Ophelia

1920

High relief cast in bronze

Donated by G. Ciampi Butini and G. Ciampi, 1963

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Yohji Yamamoto

Outfit: skirt and jacket

Autumn/Winter 2003-2004

Herringbone wool and silk chiffon

TA 8559-8560

Donated by Fondazione Pitti Discovery

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Maison Jean Patou

Cocktail dress with belt

1965

Silk, patent belt 

TA 7876

Donated by the Florence Centre for Italian Fashion

Provenance: antiques market

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Alma Maria Lami

Ball gown, “Dannazione” model

1956

Silk satin decorated with sequins, beads, tubular beads and chenille

TA 6693

Donation and Provenance:  Lami

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Libero Andreotti

Pescia (Pistoia) 1875 – Florence 1933

Young girl in sandals

1915

Statue cast in bronze

Donated by Amici della Galleria d’Arte Moderna, 1925

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Issey Miyake

Outfit: sweater and skirt,

Pleats Please collection 1995

Pleated polyester

TA13435

Donated by Luciana Chiostri Corsi

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Issey Miyake

Outfit: Jacket, tunic and trousers

Pleats Please collection 1995

Pleated polyester

TA 13430

Donated by Luciana Chiostri Corsi

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Quinto Martini

Seano (Florence) 1908 – Florence 1990

Portrait of a woman (“la Seanese”)

1934

Terracotta sculpture

Donated by L. Martini, 1999

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Maurizio Galante

Dress

Spring/ Summer 1994

Silk gros de tours

TA 8497

Donated by Maurizio Galante

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Junko Shimada /Giappone

Coat

date?

Boiled wool and polyamide

GGC 6873

Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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Alberto Savinio

Athens (Greece) 1891 – Rome 1952

Orpheus and Eurydice

1951

Mixed media on masonite

Purchased at the XXVII Venice Art Biennale, 1954

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Alimondo Ciampi

San Mauro a Signa (Florence) 1876 - 1939

Abandoned

1931

Statue carved in marble

Donated by G. Ciampi Butini and G. Ciampi, 1965

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Maurizio Galante

Dress

Spring/Summer 1994

Silk gros de tours

TA 8497

Donated by Maurizio Galante

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His origins from the area bordering both Veneto and Trieste would lead Guido Marussig, creative and learned designer, to explore many contaminations with the main examples of European graphic design. Here, his festive representation of fireworks reminds us of the lights and colours reflected in the small sequinned tiles that decorate the dresses.

The radiating light spreads over the sky above the gondolas in the painting by Marussig, moving on to the sequinned dress in increasingly pale shades of pink, dating back to the late 1920s, and on to the haute-couture dress by Giorgio Armani. The style of the artist-designer, whose dresses seem to be made just to be worn, is classic and, at the same time, slightly deconstructed, giving a subtle sense of carelessness to his unique elegance.

The tour concludes with two light irradiating pairs of shoes by designer Christian Louboutin.

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Enrico Coveri

“Torta ” model evening dress

Spring/Summer 2013

Knit fabric, sequins

TA 13380

Donated by Enrico Coveri Maison srl

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Enrico Coveri, Italia

“ Frutta” model, evening dress

Spring/Summer 1996

Knit fabric, sequins

TA 13371

Donated by Enrico Coveri Maison srl

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Enrico Coveri

”Intarsio” model evening dress

Autumn/Winter 1993-94

Knit fabric, sequins

TA13376

Donated by Enrico Coveri Maison srl

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Enrico Coveri, Italy

Dress, “ Maxi Paillettes multicolore” model

Autumn Winter 1990-91

Knit fabric, sequins

TA 13373

Donated by Enrico Coveri Maison srl

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Felice Casorati 

The Stranger

1930 ca.

Oil on canvas

Purchased at the XVI International Art Exhibition, Venice.

Venice 1930

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Christian Louboutin Paris

Bridget’s Back spiked booties

Autumn Winter 2011

Gold leather with diamanté appliqués and metal tips

GGC 8331

Donated by Christian Louboutin

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Christian Louboutin Paris

Bridget’s Back spiked booties

Autumn Winter 2011

Gold leather with diamanté appliqués and metal tips

GGC 8331

Donated by Christian Louboutin

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Italian manufacture

Evening dress

1930 ca.

Silk organza and sequins

TA  2964

Donated Marchesa Giulia Afan De Rivera Costaguti

Provenance Donna Franca Florio

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Giorgio Armani

Evening dress

Autumn Winter 2011

Silk and sequins

GGC 8902

Donated by Giorgio Armani

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Guido Marussig

Trieste 1885 – Gorizia 1972

The Magical Tree (gondolas and fireworks)

1914 ca.

Oil on canvas

Gallery of Modern Art Room 28

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CREDITS

This virtual tour was designed and developed in conjunction with the exhibition Traces. Dialoguing with art in the Museum of Costume and Fashion, opening at Palazzo Pitti, Museum of Costume and Fashion on 19 December 2017.

Exhibition created and curated by:

Caterina Chiarelli, Curator of the Museum of Costume and Fashion

Tommaso Lagattolla

Simonella Condemi, Curator of the Gallery of Modern Art of Pitti Palace

Explanatory texts (introduction to the Exhibition and Sections, detailed descriptions of the works) by:

Caterina Chiarelli

Simonella Condemi

With the collaboration of:

Paolo Mambelli

Alice Simoncini

Iconographic research by:

Antonella Alletto

Ilaria Banchetti

Serafina Bizzarri

Anna Castelli

Conny Catalano

Alice Filipponi

Paolo Mambelli

Susi Piovanelli

Katia Sanchioni

Alice Simonicini

Susanna Sordi

Photographs by:     Photography Department of the Uffizi Galleries, Francesco Del Vecchio

                                   Archivio Sillabe, Antonio Quattrone, Marcello Bertoni, Paolo Bacherini.

Please note: Each image in this virtual tour may be enlarged for more detailed viewing. The window that opens will also include technical information about each work (technique, size, inventory number).