Art Meets Fashion at Museo Salvatore Ferragamo

Fashion and art change places, overlapping each other more often than not, like pieces of broken glass in a kaleidoscope. Based on this theme, Salvatore Ferragamo has been curating pieces—dating back to when nature was the sole inspiration of art; to the post-modern, technology driven art which is rather dynamic, yet surreal.

The Salvatore Ferragamo Museum situated at Palazzo Spini Feroni Via Tornabuoni, which has been serving as the brand’s headquarters since the 1930’s, is an architectural marvel in itself. It boasts of over 10,000 shoe models and the legend that was Salvatore—how he got into designing shoes for Audrey Hepburn, Claudette Colbert, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and Sophia Loren—and being fondly remembered as the ‘shoemaker to the stars’.

The recent exhibition – Across Art and Fashion – attempts at softening the lines between the two worlds.  Amongst the showcased masterpieces curated from various cultural institutions across Florence and the rest of Italy, we think these are the ones that will certainly catch the connoisseur’s eye:

Click on the images to read about the artist and fashion collaboration.

Target-shooting motif by Kenneth Noland

A Salvatore Ferragamo suede pump with the target-shooting motif, inspired by the work of American artist Kenneth Noland in the Fifties.

Elisa Schiaparelli’s lobster dress inspired by Dali

The ‘lobster dress’ was Elisa Schiaparelli’s concoction of fashion and surrealistic art designs from Salvador Dali. The silk organza evening dress with lobster and parsley motifs is a piece from her February 1937 collection; on loan from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

YSL dress inspired by the paintings of Piet Mondrian

This Yves Saint Laurent dress is a tribute to the paintings of the modernistic artist Piet Mondrian; brought in from Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent

A collection of photographs of Andy Warhol

Altered Image (1981) by Christopher Makos is a collection of photographs of Andy Warhol, the patriarch of pop art. The photographer portrays Warhol in striking female alter-egos in different moments at the New York social scene; borrowed from a private collection showcased at Studio Makos.

Across Art and Fashion will be on display at Museo Salvatore Ferragamo in Florence till 7th April 2017.