Mariano fortuny

In 1906, a Spanish artist and fashion designer began creating clothing and textile designs, which lasted until 1949. He was very much influenced by the past and by non-European cultures and used those inspirations for his designs.

Am I the only one who didn’t know the dazzling Venetian fashion and textile wizard, the Prince of Pleats, the Virtuoso of Velvet, wasn’t even Italian, let alone Venetian? He was born Ma…

Marion Fortuny gold Delphos dress, 1910s; coat is white silk taffeta stenciled with Japanese motifs with pink silk taffeta padded hem and lining. Kyoto Costume Institute #BabilandBijouMuseContest

Fortuny, pleated evening dress (detail interior) late 1910’s early 1920’s.

Sleeve detail

A model wearing a Delphos gown designed by Mariano Fortuny, c. 1920 © Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia/Archivio Museo Fortuny A couturier-friend of mine once wryly remarked (as she meticulously contemplated the exact landing spot of another rose-gold sequin destined for the bust of a ballgown)

‘Delphos’, dress, permanently pleated silk, designed by Henriette Nigrin, possibly with Mariano Fortuny, for Mariano Fortuny, Venice, Italy, retailed by Babani in Paris, France, ca. 1920, pale green silk dress with a matching cord, intermixed with silver, threaded through worked eyelets, and trimmed at the ends with Venetian faience beads, ribbons, belonged to Eleonora Duse

A painter, a fashion and set designer, an architect, a photographer. Read about Mariano Fortuny a versatile genius from Venice.