Italian designer Roberto Capucci has been called the maestro of fashion, an architect of clothing, an artist and a sculptor. For the first time ever in the US, his life's work is on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Roberto Capucci opened his own fashion house in Rome in 1950 when he was just 21 years old and within 5 years the international press was lauding him as Italy's best designer.
Dilys Blum, the Senior Curator, Costume and Textile of the Philadelphia Museum of Art says, "He is a visionary avant garde. He trained as an artist. He doesn't sew so his work is really based in his art rather than in dressmaking."
Capucci's dresses are designed as sculptures. The women wearing them become a walking piece of art. He draws his inspiration from architecture, art and nature.
The exhibit features over 80 works, from a coat he designed for his very first fashion show in 1951 to sculptures he made in 2007.
There's also a 10 minute documentary on the birth of Italian fashion after World War II. Capucci was the youngest designer on the country's newly created fashion scene.
"When you see them in real life, they're just mind boggling. They still leave me in awe. They're beautiful. His color sensibility is extraordinary," said Blum.
Roberto Capucci: Art into Fashion is on display through June 5th. Go to http://www.philamuseum.org for ticket information.
