Costume Jewelry – Pioneers of Style – Chanel, Dior and Schiaparelli from the Chisako Kotaki Collection

The exhibition explores the evolution and art of costume jewelry in the context of the most iconic fashion houses of the 20th century. Curated by collector Chisako Kotaki, the exhibition highlights the contributions of great designers such as Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli and Christian Dior, who revolutionized the fashion world with their innovative creations, not only in clothing but also in jewelry and accessories.

Chanel, Schiaparelli and Dior were pioneers in re-interpreting costume jewelry, turning it into an element of high fashion. The Kotaki collection, famous for its selection of one-of-a-kind pieces, showcases the elegance and sophistication of these pieces of jewelry, which were no longer seen as mere ornaments, but like true objects of art and design. Coppola and Toppo is also part of this history and Barbieri witnessed their contribution to the elegance of Italian costume jewelry.

The exhibition also offers an opportunity to reflect on how these designers used costume jewelry to express broader concepts related to their aesthetic vision and the culture of the time, creating pieces that not only complemented clothes but told stories and symbols.

The exhibition has been hosted in several museums in Japan, from the Ginza Wako Museum Hall, to the Panasonic Shiodome Museum in Tokyo Kyoto, the Museum of Kyoto, the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art in Nagoya, the Utsunomiya Museum of Art and at the end the Sapporo Art Museum in Hokkaido.