BELLISSIMA: ITALY AND HIGH FASHION 1945-1968 Featured At The NSU Art Museum In Fort Lauderdale

This Italian fashion exhibit at the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale will take your breath away. Showcased will be more than ninety designer garments, that represent the identity of Italian fashion, exposing its themes and differentiating features from sensational conceptions that lit up grand ballrooms and theaters, to elegant cocktail dresses, from the distinctive black and white graphic look, to the brillant explosion of the 1960s, from creations made for the actresses of the so-called Hollywood on the Tiber (with outfits specifically designed for Ava Gardner, Anita Ekberg, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner, Kim Novak, Anna Magnani), to results of sophisticated formal research of collaborating couturiers and artists, along with suits and coats that depict luxury expressed as day wear.Also featured will be accessories representing the exceptional Italian craftsmanship and innovation for which the “Made in Italy” brand became known, including costume jewelry, shoes, hats and handbags by such names as Coppola e Toppo, Ferragamo, Fragiacomo, Gucci and Roberta da Camerino. Special jewels from the Bulgari Heritage Collections, part of the exhibition since its inception at the MAXXI in Rome, will feature the brand’s innovation and experimentation during this key period and role in establishing Italy as an international fashion capital. Among the pieces on loan for the exhibition by private collectors are iconic Serpenti creations in gold with diamonds, rubies or enamel, necklaces from the 1960s in gold with emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds.