Exquisitely Made in Italy elegance, soft colours and jacquard fancies: Villa Reale in Monza is all about sartorial excellences thanks to ‘Bellissima. Italy’s High Fashion 1945-1968’ exhibition . Born from the collaboration between Bulgari’s high jewelry, loans from precious public and private collections and Migliore + Servetto Architects, who curated its allestments, Bellissima is an unmissable venue for fashion lovers and not only.
The setting
The Monza dwelling’s Noble Second Floor
is stage to the event and is set up with a unique taste and attention for the details and features a balanced mix between works by famous painters such as Angelo Accardi, Getulio Alviani, Massimo Campigli, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Lucio Fontana and Paolo Scheggi and the creations that marked the evolution of fashion from the post Second World War to 1968. Maria Antonelli’s, Renato Balestra’s, Delia Biagiotti’s, Biki’s, Carosa’s, Roberto Capucci’s, Gigliola Curiel’s, Enzo’s, Fabiani’s, Fendi’s, Forquet’s, Irene Galitzine’s, Fernanda Gattinoni’s, Pino Lancetti’s, Germana Marucelli’s, Emilio Pucci’s, Fausto Sarli’s, Mila Schön’s, Emilio Schuberth’s, Simonetta’s, Fontana Sisters’, Valentino’s and Jole Veneziani’s are just some of the pieces on display.
The pieces on display
Among the villa’s luxurious inner spaces the clothes exhibited are devided into clusters and gathered in eight rooms featuring iconic pieces suitable for the most high-end events, as well as clothes coming from daily life, without neglecting overcoats, coats, capes and suits. Cluster after cluster the dive into history is at hand, also supported the projection of historic videos ranging from fashion shows to gala nights shot by Istituto Luce, one of the most important Italian movie studios born during the Fascism.
The themes
The exhibition starts from the ‘Arty’ theme, featuring outfits as a reflection space for a sometimes too day-dreamer artist for his times, to the ‘Daytime’ room displaying pastel-coloured jackets and coats. Precious Bulgari jewels paired to the pieces on exhibition and sometimes on a limited edition enlight the rooms with their gold and colourful reflexions, leading visitors towards the next chambers. ‘High Craftmanship’, ‘Black and White’, ‘Cocktail’, ‘Evening’ are just some of the themes exposed, which culminate with the ‘Cinema’ section, home to pieces from the most renowned movies from the past, as well as to clothes worn by actresses on elite events. Garments with exotic recalls and futuristic creations realised with sequine, lamé and lurex fabrics testifying the changes fashion underwent in the 60s are key to the ‘Exoticism’ and ‘Space’ clusters, the exhibition’s ending sections.
Fabrics and Accesories
Fabrics are given a particular attention: great brand’s archives among which Agnona, Bedetti Pedraglio, Botto Giuseppe & Figli, Bozalla, Clerici Tessuto, Faliero Sarti, Lanerossi, Lanificio Fratelli Piacenza, Lanificio G.B. Conte, Lanificio Trabaldo Piero Togna, Lanificio Zignone, Luigi Verga, Marzotto, Pria, Ratti, Rivetti, Tallia di Delfino, Taroni and Valditevere are displayed on the central hallways of the dwelling to testify the importance of textile for the innovation in fashion.
Hats by Clemente Cartoni, Gallia and Peter, as well as bags, shoes and accesories by Coppola e Toppo, Ferragamo, Fragiacomo, Frattegiani, Gucci and Roberta di Camerino can’t miss in this tale of fashion growth, traced sep-by-step by important magazines of the sector among which ‘Bellezza’, ‘Novità’ and ‘Vogue’ are just some examples.
After the exhibition
Fahion and history lovers or simply curious won’t be deceived. And for those interested in taking a souvenir back home, the tour continues at the bookshop located at the ground floor, where the ‘Bellissima. Italy’s High Fashion 1945-1968’ official catalogue gathering the history and pictures of the pieces on display is on sale.
Details
The villa is open to visitors Tue-Sun 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-10pm. Closed on Mondays. Guided tours, as well as audio guides are available upon request.
Its gardens are open daily 7am-6.30pm for free, as well as the park open daily 7am-7pm.
