ROME.- Memorabile, Ipermoda, curated by Maria Luisa Frisa in collaboration with the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana is on view at the MAXXI in one of its most scenographic galleries. Ten years after the Bellissima exhibition, this new display marks a further chapter in the ongoing dialogue between fashion and the museum, with a perfect blend where the exhibition project and the editorial concept come together to form an independent work of art.
The exhibition, through a rich collection of garments, accessories, archival materials, and videos, tells the story of fashion as a tool for reflecting on the present. These elements act as a lens to investigate the questions fashion poses today, demonstrating its ability to respond and adapt to social, political, economic, and cultural changes.
The exhibition explores themes such as fashion's relationship with time, the management of archives, the strategic role of creative directors in major luxury brands, and the crucial challenge of sustainability. The garments and accessories are arranged to create unexpected encounters between haute couture and independent fashion. Each piece on display carries its own story. Through the artistic visions of the designers, their research, and experiments, memories, emotions, and intentions emerge. It is a collective narrative that combines creativity, awareness, and imagination, allowing the visitor to discover and reflect.
Memorable is the desire for wonder that pervades fashion more than ever today. Memorable is the emotion evoked by those creations that constitute the architecture closest to our body. Memorable is the dialogue between the Ordinary and the Extraordinary, the constant reactivation of fashion and its representations.
voices
Emanuela Bruni, Acting Board Member, MAXXI Foundation: “With this exhibition, every partner and creator has contributed not only with their own vision but with an openness to dialogue that enriches the experience and invites us to rethink the very boundaries of creativity and art. The collaborations between MAXXI, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, the invaluable support of the Bvlgari Foundation, and other partners animate Memorable. Ipermoda, creating true spaces for growth and transformation, capable of reflecting the complexity and diversity of the contemporary world.”
Carlo Capasa, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana: “Memorable. Ipermoda offers a multifaceted and critical view of the issues and transformations in contemporary fashion. It captures a system in which multiple actors are at play, where the visions of masters and emerging designers coexist, blending heritage with innovation, establishing dialogue between cultures and sensibilities, outlining new scenarios for the industry and business under the sign of sustainability, new means of dissemination and promotion, and shaping the image of our time. The many forms of creativity are the beating heart of fashion, and this exhibition tells its multiple facets, while also highlighting the seminal contribution of Italian fashion to the system, through brands, creative directors, entrepreneurs, and the skilled masters of Made in Italy.”
Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of the Bvlgari Group and Chairman of the Bvlgari Foundation: “It is a great honour for the Bvlgari Foundation to sponsor an exhibition for the first time, and we are happy to begin with Memorable, hosted at the MAXXI Museum. The concept behind this project is closely tied to the DNA of Bvlgari, because what is memorable is what is created to generate timeless beauty, going beyond the mere ability to be remembered. It represents that unique experience tied to an exclusive creation that leaves a deep mark on the soul and memory of those who experience it. At the heart of Bvlgari, the concept of 'timeless beauty' represents the essence of our commitment to excellence. To create something that does not stop at the present but passes down through generations. It is a meeting of tradition and innovation, where the craftsmanship we have preserved for 140 years merges with creative avant-garde, giving life to works that not only respond to the desires of the present but survive the passage of time, becoming truly memorable!”
Francesco Stocchi, Artistic Director, MAXXI: “Memorable. Ipermoda explores fashion's ability to be extraordinary while remaining grounded in the everyday, presenting it not only through aesthetic values but as an expressive medium that constantly reflects and renegotiates social and cultural values. The exhibition thus clarifies the role of curatorial practices in fashion, a field in need of structure and development, particularly in a country that still lacks a museum dedicated to it.”
Maria Luisa Frisa, curator of the exhibition: “Memorable. Ipermoda seeks to provide a snapshot of the imaginative and design wealth in fashion over the past few years. I am honoured that this exhibition is part of a significant collaborative effort between the MAXXI National Museum of 21st Century Arts and the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. In Italy, having fashion enter the Museum holds particular meaning. It means recognizing the value that fashion holds within the contemporary cultural system.”
tour
The exhibition space of Gallery 5 naturally guides the visitor along the exhibition route. From the very entrance, the gentle slope leads the eye, suggesting a fluid and continuous path. The layout develops through a sequence of scenes, revealing the garments gradually, with a play of perspectives that makes the most of the architectural features of the space.
The external volumes, with enigmatic shapes, conceal interiors with surfaces covered in glossy, light fabrics similar to latex, reflecting soft shades inspired by makeup. This dialogue between materials and colours creates a sophisticated, contemporary atmosphere where every element, from the geometry of the spaces to the coverings, contributes to an experience that unites architecture and fashion.
The exhibition presents a series of stations where garments build unexpected relationships with each other, where the extraordinary pieces of haute couture dialogue with more independent experiences, without hierarchies. Memorable. Ipermoda is an opportunity to admire the virtuosity of Viktor&Rolf, featured in the exhibition's key image, alongside the couture of Christian Dior as interpreted by Maria Grazia Chiuri, and the unexpected approach of Schiaparelli by Daniel Roseberry, and Balenciaga by Demna Gvasalia; Jonathan Anderson's conceptual explorations and Virgil Abloh's political visions for Louis Vuitton; Thom Browne and Craig Green's takes on masculinity; the great contemporary season of Italian fashion, from the most established figures such as Giorgio Armani, Miuccia Prada (who now shares creative direction of her brand with Raf Simons), and Dolce&Gabbana (revitalizing their archive in collaboration with Kim Kardashian), to the latest experiences, from Alessandro Michele's interpretation of Valentino, to Marni under Francesco Risso, up to the new generation of designers represented by ACT N°1 and Marco Rambaldi.
Some objects punctuate the exhibition route, highlighting its atmospheres: in particular, the extraordinary bronze and brass shell decorated with silver coins and gemstones created by Bvlgari, designed by artist Francesco Vezzoli—an impressive and monumental piece that invites reflection on the ongoing oscillation between massification and radical individualism in taste.
The exhibition design is by Supervoid, and the designers and brands on display include ACT N°1, Alexander McQueen, Stefano Gallici for Ann Demeulemeester, Armani Privé, Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga, Matthieu Blazy for Bottega Veneta, Bulgari, Craig Green, Coperni, Delfina Delettrez, Glenn Martens for Diesel, Dilara Findikoglu, Raf Simons for Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Marco De Vincenzo for Etro, Fendace (Kim Jones and Donatella Versace), Kim Jones for Fendi, Maximilian Davis for Ferragamo, Garbagecore, Grace Wales Bonner, Alessandro Michele for Gucci, Sabato De Sarno for Gucci, Iris van Herpen, Jonathan Anderson for LOEWE, Jacquemus, Judith Clark, Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton, John Galliano for Maison Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Marco Rambaldi, Francesco Risso for Marni, Max Mara, Medea, Miu Miu, Moncler Genius, Adrian Appiolaza for Moschino, MSGM, Miuccia Prada for Prada and Raf Simons for Prada, Priscilla Anati, Rick Owens, Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent, Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli, Stone Island, Thom Browne, Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino, Alessandro Michele for Valentino, Versace, Viktor & Rolf, and Virgil Abloh x Ikea.
