About this episode

Sonnet Stanfill discusses the life and work of Elsa Schiaparelli in the context of her new exhibition at the V&A.

TODAY on the GWA podcast: curator SONNET STANFILL on ELSA SCHIAPARELLI! Sonnet is the Senior Curator of Fashion at the V&A, where she has worked since 1999. Stanfill has curated numerous highly acclaimed exhibitions, such as New York Fashion Now, Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950, and the landmark The Glamour of Italian Fashion (2014), which traveled to several museums across the US. She has published and lectured widely on various aspects of fashion design and holds an MA in the history of dress. But the reason why we are speaking with her today is because she has just curated the monumental exhibition, Elsa Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at the V&A, which charts the fearless life and daring work of the artist, designer, surrealist, influencer and general pioneer of who the modern woman was and what she could be. A creator of surrealist wonderlands with her fantastical gowns with floating eyes, lips, and lobsters, woven jackets embellished with astrological symbolism and mirrors inspired by Versailles, plus carrot-shaped buttons with embroidered cauliflowers, Schiaparelli – who also made jewellery and perfumes and wrote extensively – was one of the most inventive people…

People in this episode

Host: Katy Hessel

Guest: Sonnet Stanfill

Topics covered

• fashion
• art
• surrealism
• exhibitions
• women in design

Keywords

• Elsa Schiaparelli
• Sonnet Stanfill
• V&A
• fashion
• surrealism
• exhibition
• women designers

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: V&A, New York Fashion Now, Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950, The Glamour of Italian Fashion

Places: Rome, London, New York, Paris

More episodes of The Great Women Artists

• Venice Biennale special: Lubaina Himid · May 5, 2026 · 42 min
• Deborah Levy on Gertrude Stein · April 22, 2026 · 38 min
• Alyce Mahon on Dorothea Tanning · April 14, 2026 · 50 min
• Diane Apostolos-Cappadona on Mary Magdalene · April 2, 2026 · 54 min
• Meryl Tankard on Pina Bausch · March 31, 2026 · 44 min
• Michaelina Wautier told by Katlijne Van der Stighelen (part 1) and Julien Domercq (part 2) · March 25, 2026 · 60 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Great Women Artists podcast page.