Italian couture comes to town

KOLKATA: The glitz and glamour of Hollywood will touch Kolkata when Clark Gable''s suit and Audrey Hepburn''s shoes arrive for an exhibition, Fifty years of Italian fashion, from Sunday.
Clothing and accessories worn by stars such as Grace Kelly and Madonna will be on display at the Victoria Memorial to celebrate 50 years of Italian design. The free exhibition will showcase 72 items such as Versace''s $300,000 dress made out of Swarovski crystal beads and the first roundshaped evening bag created for Jacqueline Kennedy.
Italian consul-general Domenico Benincasa said, "It will be popular because India has always shown a great skill in embroidery and textile art.Italian fashion houses are often inspired by Indian styles and we look forward to working with Indian designers in future."
From jewellery made for American first ladies to wedding dresses and trousseaus designed for the royalty, the show promises to epitomise the sophistication of Italian culture. Items from the catwalk, the White House and the silver screen will adorn the Sculpture Gallery of the Memorial from February 16 to March 10.
The clothing on display includes a Prada sequin and gold-embroidered dress worn by actress Cate Blanchett and the much-photographed Versace ''jungle'' dress worn by Jennifer Lopez. The exhibition concludes its India tour after a successful run in Delhi and Mumbai. It has also visited Latin America and Japan and will leave for Europe from Kolkata.
Organiser Fiorella Galgano said she enjoyed being in India because of its passion for good clothes.
"Everyone will enjoy this show because the items have a story behind them. Italian couture is the best in the world and so we think of this as an art exhibition."