Giardini di Seta.
Tessuti, abiti e botanica del territorio lariano

The exhibition Giardini di Seta. Tessuti, abiti e botanica del territorio lariano (Silk Gardens. Textiles, Garments and the Botany of the Lario Region) explores the relationship between textiles and botany from the eighteenth century to the present day through the many facets of floral decoration. Floral fabrics from the collections of the Antonio Ratti Foundation, from important private collections and from the historical archives of the Larian silk industries are displayed along a route divided into thematic “rooms”.

In the first part of the exhibition, Baroque Lyon silks intertwine flowers with architectural elements; airy taffetas are decorated with garlands of roses or berries; and furnishing cottons from the second half of the nineteenth century feature highly realistic floral triumphs. The second part of the exhibition is devoted to twentieth-century textiles, a period that marks the development of the Como silk mills, suppliers to haute couture and to Italian and French prêt-à-porter. Alongside the textiles are garments connected to the theme; for the twentieth century section, these are selected to represent Italian Alta Moda – from Biki to Capucci, Ferré and Valentino – Parisian Haute Couture with Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, and international prêt-à-porter with Ken Scott and Leonard.