Museum of Costume and Fashion - Pitti Palace

A selection of twentieth-century clothes - including pieces by Miuccia Prada, Giorgio Armani and John Galliano - inaugurate the reopening of the Fashion and Costume Museum at Palazzo Pitti . Twelve new rooms are once again open to the public forty years after the foundation of this extraordinary section of the Galleries, whose collection consists of over 15,000 pieces from the sixteenth century to the present day).

On display are 50 dresses accompanied by a sumptuous selection of shoes, hats and other accessories.There is the theatrical 'cloak-kimono' created by Mariano Fortuny for Eleonora Duse, the 1920s 'flapper' tunic by Chanel, the splendour of the paillettes of the outfit worn by Franca Florio and the flamboyant evening gowns by Elsa Schiaparelli, up to the regal luxury of the creations by Emilio Schubert, the tailor of the divas in the 1950s (his garments for Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren are famous).

And again, the geometric extravagances of Patty Pravo's dress designed in the early Eighties by Gianni Versace, the essential sensuality of the black sheath designed by Jean Paul Gaultier and made famous by Madonna, the dreamy allure of Gianfranco Ferré's collection for Dior in the Nineties.

The reopening marks the first step in the complete renewal of the Museum. In spring, ten additional rooms will be ready for visitors, showcasing the most captivating costumes worn by the nobility and aristocracy from the 16th to the 19th century. Additionally, there will be a dedicated room showcasing exquisite jewelry.