The history of fashion, haute couture, the evolution of taste and costume through the centuries
After a complete renovation and a new itinerary that winds its way through 20 rooms, the Museum of Fashion and Costume in Florence has fully reopened, giving Italy one of the few museums dedicated to fashion.
Dress after dress, accessory after accessory, the Museum explores iconic moments that have marked the history of costume, from the 18th century to the present, as well as lingerie and jewelry, and a fascinating corpus of stage clothes from popular movies, plays and operas worn by Italian and international movie and show business stars.
Among the most valuable pieces are the 16th-century funeral gowns of Cosimo I de' Medici, Eleonora di Toledo and her son Don Garzia, on permanent display after complex restoration, rare 19th-century wedding gowns, including a model with a train made by couturier Charles Frederick Worth. Then evening gowns and opulent Belle Époque models designed by Raphael Goudstikker, including one in yellow and green chiffon by Countess Margaret Brinton White Savorgnan di Brazzà, with beads and glass straws. Finally, the early 1900s with designs by Mariano Fortuny for Eleonora Duse and Donna Franca Florio's kimono house dress by designer Jacques Doucet.