Schiaparelli at the V&A

I had some spare time in London, having had lunch with friends in Catford and going to theatre in Hampstead in the evening, so I decided to pop into the V&A. I am a member and like to get my money's worth on exhibitions, even if there is nothing much that appeals, as is currently the case. And I could always enjoy the members' lounge.

Ignoring the contemporary art exhibition, which looked particularly rubbish, I went to see the fashion exhibition (fashion exhibitions seem to do very well at the V&A so they put a lot on). I feel the V&A fully recognise how crap the contemporary art exhibition is from looking at their website. Other exhibitions have photos of highlights from them. Not that one.

Now I am not exactly a fashion consumer, and the name Schiaparelli means nothing to me. It seems she worked from late thirties to early fifties. And the exhibition is entitled "Fashion Becomes Art". As I say women's fashion (or indeed men's) doesn't much interest me, so I think of other things. One was noting how during the War haute couture survived.

Secondly, while the early costumes from the late thirties looked stylish and above all wearable, she seemed to do what a lot of luxury brands have done this century - attach their brand to other items, and indeed to other brands. Hence collaborations with Dali and other artists. And branching out from relatively sober dresses and suits to perfume, jewellery and accessories. 

So above is what I would describe as sober and stylish. Below, stylish but far from sober, and of limited wearability. And here is my issue with the exhibition as a whole. The costumes below are not dresses by Elsa Schiaparelli, but by someone who bought the rights to her name after her death and is continuing to produce designer clothes. Basically this exhibition is partly a clothes advert. And its hardly a continuation of Elsa's designs. There was a long hiatus. And these things aren't really for wearing. They are for being photographed in. For tottering down a red carpet.

This is an original design. And its not a shoe exhibited upside down. It is a hat designed to look like a shoe

Below is one of the perfumes she branched out into. Apparently the only perfume she "produced" for men. And very much of its era - the bottle designed as a pipe.

Something more feminine

The more ridiculous modern designs - a sort of space age monkey attached to a dress

Striking, but is it even a costume? You see what I mean about it being something to be photographed in? It is just for posing

So having gone through the exhibition, which I did enjoy, I went is search of the members' room, only to be told that it was closed because the upper floor was too hot!

I wandered around the Renaissance and plaster cast galleries - familiar territory, but stunning nonetheless.