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"In his autobiography, Roberto Cavalli wrote about the anxiety he felt over his first major fashion show in 1970 at Florence's Sala Bianca: \"The Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti in those days was pure myth. Founded by [businessman Giovanni Battista] Giorgini in the fifties to counter the hegemony of French fashion, it was the place where all the great tailors showed their creations.\" This myth launched the careers of today's legendary designers, including Missoni, Gianni Versace, and Giorgio Armani. To celebrate how early shows at Sala Bianca paved the way for an Italian sartorial empire, the Victoria and Albert Museum is surveying the country's design influence with \"Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945\u20132014,\" highlighting 100 ensembles and pieces of jewelry, as well as movie stills, photos, and illustrations.\n\nPinterestFacebookAudrey Hepburn and Salvatore Ferragamo, 1954. Photo \u00A9 Banca Dati dell'Archivio Foto Locchi, Florence\n\nHollywood's fascination with Italian style defined some of the great films of the 1950s and '60s. Just picture Audrey Hepburn, boyishly coiffed, shirtsleeves carelessly rolled up, speeding around Rome with Gregory Peck on the back of that scooter. Other stars favored more lavish Italian looks, and the exhibition offers the rare chance to see the spectacular Bulgari necklace that Richard Burton gave Elizabeth Taylor as an engagement gift.\n\nPinterestFacebookSuits and coats on view demonstrate a devotion to meticulous tailoring. Photo \u00A9 Victoria and Albert Museum, London\n\nThe main attraction is, of course, the clothing designs by the visionaries who staked a claim for themselves among the world's greatest couturiers. The tableaux show the trajectory of Italian fashion, from the ball gowns commissioned from dressmakers in the 1950s to an outrageous 1980s Roberto Capucci evening dress in magenta and green. Among other treasures on display are a pair of bejeweled Dolce &amp;amp; Gabbana boots from 2000 and Versace's bold, unstructured twist on the traditional suit, which made waves when it first appeared in 1985.\n\nPinterestFacebookA display of evening gowns and cocktail dresses. Photo \u00A9 Victoria and Albert Museum, London\n\nThrough July 27 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; vam.ac.uk\n\nPinterestFacebookValentino posing with models near Trevi Fountain, July 1967. Courtesy of The Art Archive / Mondadori Portfolio / Marisa Rastellini"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/italian-fashion-victoria-albert-museum-london>