Until June 5, NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale and Bulgari present Bellissima: Italy and High Fashion 1945–1968, an exhibition that traces how Italian design blossomed after World War II and gave rise to the era of alta moda. The show highlights the creative synergy between fashion and other artistic fields—film, photography, architecture and theater—and how designers such as Emilio Schuberth, Sorelle Fontana, Germana Marucelli, Mila Schön, Valentino, Simonetta, Fendi, Renato Balestra, Biki, Irene Galitzine, Emilio Pucci and Fausto Sarli shaped an international style.
The exhibition features more than 90 garments alongside a curated selection of accessories. Visitors can see everything from grand ball gowns and elegant cocktail dresses to shoes, hats, handbags and costume jewelry by names including Ferragamo, Gucci and Coppola e Toppo. Bespoke jewels from the Bulgari Heritage Collections and private lenders are also on display, including a pair of diamond pendant earrings once worn by Elizabeth Taylor.
In addition to finished garments and accessories, Bellissima presents textile swatches, fabric patterns and archival research materials that reveal how designers and ateliers worked. The presentation is complemented by postwar artworks, including pieces by Luciano Fontana, whose slashed canvases influenced designers such as Mila Schön and illustrate the cross-pollination between contemporary art and fashion during this transformative period.
Together, the garments, accessories and supporting archival materials offer a comprehensive look at how Italian high fashion emerged and gained global recognition in the two decades after the war, reflecting both craftsmanship and the broader cultural currents that informed style, material innovation and silhouette. The exhibition provides context for the rise of maisons and ateliers that would go on to define modern luxury, while highlighting the creative collaborations and artistic dialogues that fueled Italy’s fashion renaissance.