Naples, the exhibition dedicated to fashion designer Fausto Sarli opens at the Fashion Museum
He made gowns for Mina, Liz Taylor, Ornella Vanoni: 22 of them are restored and exhibited at the Mondragone Foundation in an exhibition designed by Michele Jodice
by Vera Viola
"SARLI' is the title of the exhibition to be held at the Naples Fashion Museum from 11 December to 31 May. An event that wants to remember and pay homage to the great Neapolitan couturier: 22 of his precious garments have been restored and will be on display.
In the rooms of the Naples Fashion Museum - the only public fashion museum in Italy in a private setting, located in the late Baroque building housing the historic Mondragone Foundation, in the heart of the Quartieri Spagnoli - the exhibition is divided into a path dedicated to the great Neapolitan couturier Fausto Sarli, who in the 1960s brought the prestigious tradition of Neapolitan tailoring to international haute couture, making impeccable cut and sculptural lines the distinctive feature of his creations. Initiated and conceived by lawyer Maria d'Elia, President of the Museum, and curated by Paola Maddaluno, the exhibition is supported by the Campania Region, sponsored by the National Chamber for Italian Fashion and in dialogue with the Sarli Archives.
After a long and careful restoration, therefore, twenty-two dresses donated by Sarli to his city in 2003 and part of the permanent collection of the Naples Fashion Museum are returning to their original splendour. Visitors can admire the "Polynesia" collection with its floral motifs, spectacular capes and bold colours to the "Cerchio" collection, which plays around the perfection of the geometric figure by recreating its shape in the bodice or with wing-like pleats, to the "Diva" collection. The exhibition is a complete journey around Sarli's production from the mid-1950s to the early 2000s. It is a tribute to the great cutter who, despite having achieved international fame and having dressed some of the most famous divas of cinema and show business, from Lucia Bosè to Mina, from Liz Taylor to Carla Fracci, from Ornella Vanoni to Carla Bruni, has always defined himself as a tailor, and it is precisely in this vocation for subtraction that his stylistic signature resides, but also his shy and elusive personality.
On display in the room of the exhibition dedicated to the 'Concept' section is the black chiffon sheath dress from which it all began. Sleeveless and embellished with a ruffle on the front, this model, of incredible historical value, won the designer the S.I.A.M. Prize in 1954 at the first National Competition for Figurinists, held during the First Congress of Fashion, Clothing and Textiles, promoted by the Mediterranean Centre for Fashion and Craftsmanship at the Mostra d'Oltremare in Naples. Among the most original gowns on display are two haute couture pieces from the 1969 spring-summer collection worn by Liz Taylor, theblack silk cady sheath dress with draped neckline finished with tone-on-tone jais and the "holy-water neckline" worn by Mina in 1961.
The exhibition concludes with a video interview dedicated to Bonizza Aragno Giordani, costume and fashion historian. A close friend of Fausto Sarli, in 2003 she strongly supported and contributed to the donation of the master's 50 haute-couture dresses kept at the Naples Museum. The installation, designed by Michele Iodice, amplifies the sculptural power of the creations, transforming the museum rooms into a landscape of light and shadow, through the use of gold and black that echo the colours of the Sarli label.
