Roberto Capucci at the PMA

On Friday I went with my friend Danielle to the Roberto Capucci: Art into Fashion exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Friday. First of all, it was fantastic—the dresses are unbelievably wonderful, so you’d better hurry up and see them before the exhibit closes Sunday! Second of all, there were no shoes! If you were going to wear a few of Capucci’s incredible dresses (and if the PMA would let you), what shoes might you pair with them?

First up, Capucci’s classic Nove gonna (Nine Dresses), a nine-layered silk taffeta extravaganza from 1956:

I’d love to see this paired with booties—maybe these:

  The Yalina Evening Booties by Nina have a four-inch wedge heel, peep toe, and an upper made of fine black lace. They give enough subtle visual interest to anchor the dress, and red and black never go out of style. They can be yours for $109, and you can find them at Macy’s.

Danielle particularly enjoyed Capucci’s use of natural materials in the 70s, like this silk georgette number from 1972 which uses bamboo at the neck, wrists, and waist:


The dress is so flowy, I’d keep it casual with a pair of sandals: The Jeryn sandal has a synthetic leather upper embellished with rhinestones and beads, and a zipper up the back to help get them on. They come in silver, snowy, and black in addition to the cognac shown here, and you can find them at Call it Spring for $40.

Last up, one of my favorites: the elaborately ruffled Angelo d’Oro (Angel of Gold) dress from 1987:

 
Just look at the back of this dress! The front is very simple with just an empire waist, and it’s made in about five shades of gold, from soft matte golds to sparkling glitters. The picture just doesn’t do it justice—it is downright celestial in person. Nobody will really care about your shoes if you got your hands on this dress, but let’s pair it up anyway:

  I went expensive because I love this dress, and I figured if you’re going to go to prison for stealing it out of the museum you might as well go in style. The Wavy Strap Sandal by Jimmy Choo features a 4.5” heel, mirrored gold leather, and two buckled ankle straps. It runs small, so get it half a size up if you can spare the $695. Available at Neiman Marcus.

 I’m serious—get yourself to the art museum and see this exhibit! Tickets run $25 for adults and $19 for students with ID, but they’re free if you’re a member.