The Museum of Fashion and Costume in Palazzo Pitti contains more than 6000 artefacts, including ancient clothing (the oldest date back to the 16th century), accessories, theatre and cinema costumes of great documentary importance. It is also the only Italian museum to trace a detailed history of the fashions that have followed one another, thanks to the presence of many prestigious examples of famous Italian and foreign designers such as Valentino, Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, Emilio Pucci, Ottavio Missoni, Yves Saint Laurent, etc..
Most of the samples come from public and private donations, sometimes with the sale of entire wardrobes of famous people, of great historical as well as aesthetic importance. Thus came the clothes of the Sicilian noblewoman Franca Fiorio, or that of Eleonora Duse. Also noteworthy is the collection of theatrical costumes collected by Umberto Tirelli, founder of an important tailor’s shop specialized in this sector.
