The Palazzo Pitti is a large and lush Renaissance palace in Florence that acts as a major cultural hub in the city as it is home to several difference museums. This includes the Palatine Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes (formerly the Silver Museum), a Porcelain Museum, and, most interestingly for fashion-lovers, the Costume Gallery. Filled with the most extraordinary gowns, court clothes, luxury garments from famous designers, and more from periods throughout history, this incredible museum allows you to walk through the timeline of western fashion. Now, for those who book a luxury villa in Florence and come to dive into her rich fashion heritage, there are nine newly inaugurated rooms, many showcasing never before seen garments, open to the public. So, if you love fashion, it’s the ideal time to plan that trip to Florence!
Located in the 17th century wing of the Palazzo Pitti complex, in a building called the Palazzina della Meridiana, Florence’s Costume Gallery dates back to 1983. Its impressive collection of over 15,000 objects was acquired over time through public and private donations and formal acquisitions on behalf of the institution and makes it one of the best fashion museums in the globe. Along with the city’s Ferragamo and Gucci museums, this incredible institution ensures that the serious fashion buff will have plenty to keep them occupied while on vacation in Florence – in addition to the fashionable people-watching, the market-trawling, and high street haunting that is on offer in the city!
For both the scholar and the average enthusiast, the showcasing of period clothing on mannequins, the display of all of the various accoutrements that went into dressing at different times, the historic gowns and haute couture wonders, the film and tv costumes, the gorgeous accessories and jewellery, the design sketches, and the fashion magazines are all sure to intrigue. Designer fans will also be interested to see iconic pieces by designers such as Roberto Cavalli, Givenchy, Emilio Pucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Saint Laurent, Armani, Missoni, Valentino, Schiaparelli, and more on display.
The new nine newly inaugurated rooms that have recently been opened to delight the eyes of the public, meanwhile, showcase a curation of fashion throughout the 20th century. Revealed exactly a year after the gallery was reopened after renovation, this 20th century display is designed to be a rotating curation that will reveal both new pieces, restored garments, and previously unseen items that had long been in storage, really making the most of that vast collection.
Rooms displaying 18th and 19th century fashion and Medici collections remain unchanged and available to admire but this new and more dynamic way of showcasing the 20th century pieces is a great way for more guests to see more of the extraordinary collections of the museum. Beginning with a space dedicated to Charleston Fashion and showcasing Asian-inspired garments and flapper fashion the new space leads into two rooms with fashion from between the two World Wars including Art Deco and 1930s cinematic glamour. Next is the post-war period, with some very important early pieces by Saint Laurent for Dior, followed by three rooms dedicated to the 60s and 70s, with Space Age wonders and the youth revolution’s inventions such as the iconic miniskirt. Finally, we finish with a flash of sequins and striking shades in the 1980s.
So, if you really do love fashion, there really has never been a better time to book that stay in one of our amazing holiday rentals in Florence! Looking to enjoy lazy days at home between the darting around and exploring all that the city has to offer? Then, why not consider one of our villas with pools in Florence and totally chill out by the water between adventures?
