Dr. A-L Tells: What to Read & Watch- Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Welcome to my blog series Dr. A-L Tells: What to Read & Watch, where I get to share with you some of my favourite finds from books, films & other gems that resonated with me so deeply I just had to write about them! In each post, I’ll keep it short & sweet with a 500-word-ish review of something I’ve recently read or watched, often centring Black people, identity & diverse experiences around the globe.
This series mixes my personal reflections, feelings & academic insights to offer a fresh take on stories that capture the richness & complexity of Black voices worldwide. I’m here to explore the layers of culture, history & identity while unpacking how these narratives hit home for me on both intellectual & emotional levels. So, whether you’re in the mood for a thoughtful analysis or just a solid recommendation, I hope each post brings a quick but meaningful spark to your day! ✨
In this post, I dive into the Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art (2026) exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
A friend unexpectedly invited me to the Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art exhibition after our lunch at the Victoria & Albert Museum, proud of her V&A membership & the ability to bring a plus-one. It was a small gesture that meant more than she probably realised- though I made sure to tell her- & it landed at the right time. I had already been drawn to the melanin-poppin' model on the promotional poster- a glimpse of the fabulousness waiting inside. Then everywhere else I saw her out & about, as if she was staring me down & telling me I had to come. Maybe I was slyly manifesting my visit all along.
For those that don’t know her work: Elsa Schiaparelli was the Italian designer behind one of fashion’s boldest surrealist chapters, she opened her Paris couture house in 1927 & worked until her death in 1973. The exhibition spans her earliest 1920s pieces to the present day under current creative director Daniel Roseberry- the first the UK has ever dedicated to her. Her influence is everywhere now, designs worn by the likes of Zendaya to Lady Gaga & Doja Cat.
Inside, it felt like a rich, mesmerising surprise- dramatic & absorbing.
The captions shared her aristocratic, academic family background- the access & the financial security, alongside the vision & talent she clearly had. Her early clientele came largely from her own circle too, the upper echelons who could afford to experiment, to ‘treat’ themselves with her bespoke pieces. I won’t pretend it doesn’t inspire me. It does. But it makes me proud too. I think about everything I could do with that kind of backing, & everything I have already done without it. Justifying the vision to funders who don’t always have the range to see it, feeling the absence of that ease, & keeping going anyway.
That freedom shows in the work: jumpers, dresses, jackets, hats, jewellery, perfumes- not just clothing- an ecosystem, pulling from surrealism & art across cultures & disciplines. Many of the pieces are more sculpture than garment; more idea than object.
Some of my favourite pieces from the exhibition Some of my favourite pieces from the exhibition Some of my favourite pieces from the exhibition Some of my favourite pieces from the exhibition
Mostly I stood still, looking in awe, realising how timeless these pieces are, how they still fit now, without alteration. Each room felt like another chapter, each piece proof that a creative language, when it is truly its own, does not date. Dim lighting, quiet, objects placed thoughtfully- it felt less like an exhibition & more like walking through thought.
What also came up was tailoring culture in Black diasporic communities- fabric, precision, identity & care. I thought about Ms Mary & the young women learning the trade under her in Cape Coast, her loving kindness, her skill, the way she got me all together- every. single. time. That’s its own kind of mastery & it deserves its own wall space somewhere.
That runs through Schiaparelli too- visionary work still depends on teams: makers, cutters, collaborators. Proof that even genius is never made alone.
I loved working through the exhibition with my friend- sometimes separately, then reconnecting to talk through how a piece resonated. Leaving, I felt less like I had seen fashion history & more like I had been reminded of what sustained boldness looks like: loud confidence, speaking through design & brilliance as much as persistence.
That lands in my own work directly- the research, the writing, the documenting, the building for communities that may not yet see themselves in it. Even when too much is done with too little.
Still worth doing.
Schiaperelli: Fashion Becomes Art is on at the V&A until Sunday 8 November 2026. Book your tickets here (or better still, become a member & bring a friend 😉).
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