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Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art online course
Online course
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Tickets available from 10.00 on Wednesday, 4 February 2026
Join us as we explore the craft and cultural impact of revolutionary fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli in this 5-week course. Hear from curators, fashion scholars and archivists to learn about the fashion house’s ground-breaking origins and its evolution under current creative director Daniel Roseberry.
Learn from our world-class experts wherever you are, whenever suits you: watch lectures live or view the recording later in your own time. You can experience the full breadth and depth of the V&A's collections with 10 hours of study over 5 weeks. Learn at your own pace: lecture recordings and study materials, lecture notes, copies of the presentations, and additional study materials are available in our secure Microsoft Teams environment for 5 weeks after the course ends, so you'll never miss a thing. And finally, join the conversation: share your perspective with your fellow students, and support each other in your further enquiries outside of class time.
For more details, see V&A Academy online questions · V&A
This event is suitable for participants 18 and over.
Learn from our world-class experts wherever you are, whenever suits you: watch lectures live or view the recording later in your own time. You can experience the full breadth and depth of the V&A's collections with 10 hours of study over 5 weeks. Learn at your own pace: lecture recordings and study materials, lecture notes, copies of the presentations, and additional study materials are available in our secure Microsoft Teams environment for 5 weeks after the course ends, so you'll never miss a thing. And finally, join the conversation: share your perspective with your fellow students, and support each other in your further enquiries outside of class time.
For more details, see V&A Academy online questions · V&A
This event is suitable for participants 18 and over.
Senior Curator of Fashion and Project Curator
Sonnet Stanfill and Lydia Caston
Sonnet Stanfill is Senior Curator of Fashion at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Her Exhibitions include NAOMI: In Fashion, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art. Lydia Caston is Project Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She is currently Project Curator on on Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art.
The subject matter was fascinating and the tie-in to current exhibit was special. Previous V&A Academy Student
Course overview
Elsa Schiaparelli (1890 – 1973) was one of the world’s most radical fashion designers. Her couture house, the most discussed of interwar Paris, redefined standards of style and perceptions of beauty in the 20th century. Her impact extended beyond fashion and across the cities of Paris, London and New York from the late 1920s until her retirement in 1954. Operating at the centre of Europe’s creative avant-garde, she positioned her work in dialogue with fine art, photography, graphic design, theatre and film.
This five-week course will chart the craft and cultural impact of this couturier and will be taught by V&A curators, independent scholars and archivists. The course will cover celebrated, yet little-seen garments, accessories and jewellery from the history of fashion, including objects in the museum’s own collections. You will learn about Schiaparelli’s collaborations with artists as well as her costumes for stage and screen. Other sessions will spotlight the London branch of Schiaparelli and her dynamic and independent clients. You will also gain an exclusive insight into exhibition-making at the V&A, hearing about the process behind Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art.
This five-week course will chart the craft and cultural impact of this couturier and will be taught by V&A curators, independent scholars and archivists. The course will cover celebrated, yet little-seen garments, accessories and jewellery from the history of fashion, including objects in the museum’s own collections. You will learn about Schiaparelli’s collaborations with artists as well as her costumes for stage and screen. Other sessions will spotlight the London branch of Schiaparelli and her dynamic and independent clients. You will also gain an exclusive insight into exhibition-making at the V&A, hearing about the process behind Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art.
Membership Priority Booking will open at 10.00 GMT on 4 February 2026. General Booking will open at 10.00 GMT on Thursday 12 February 2026.
Our courses are built using the latest Microsoft software. Tune in to expert lectures live or catch up on demand. Join discussions and continue your learning with downloadable handouts and presentations. Find out more >>
Enrol now
Online course: Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art online course
23 April 2026 - 21 May 2026
£125.00
Tickets not available yet
Need help enrolling? Talk to the admissions team:
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Open 10.00 - 13.00, Monday to Sunday (closed 24-26 December)
