Three thousand years of fashion and costume reunited in the world’s biggest virtual exhibition:  we’re talking about “We wear Culture”, the show created by Google Arts & Culture, in collaboration with more than 180 cultural and fashion institutes, schools and archives, associations and organizations coming from every part of the world, from New York to Paris, from London to Tokyo, and from São Paulo to Florence… starting today, it is just one click away on the web.

It is possible to navigate and discover the antique Silk Road, read up on the Punk fashion movement, or even discover the evolution of denim, the secrets of Japanese permanent pleating, or the evolution of the scarf from ancient times to today… the history, or better still, the stories of fashion, are divided up into 450 different themed shows that unveil each and every feature of this fascinating world.

It is all kicked off with the icons of style, and then goes on to the fashion movements, while also taking a behind the scenes look at the most famous fashion products, in order to discover how they are made.  At the same time, it is possible to virtually visit the most important fashion museums worldwide, including Pitti Palace, where Italian high fashion first got its start in the Fifties, thus discovering the ties between art and fashion.
This is how stylists who symbolized an era like Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, and Vivienne Westwood, followed on the heels of famous icons like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.  There are then trendsetters like the Brazilian diva Carmen Miranda, who, with her legendary wedges created a cult in the Thirties, or the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, with her highly colourful wardrobe… It’s possible to learn about fashion in the splendid court of Versailles, during its greatest moment in history, or discover more about street fashion in contemporary Tokyo.  Here, the secrets of making a sari or kimono are revealed, it is possible to take a behind the scenes look at the Delphos gown by Mariano Fortuny, or even learn about the passion for shoes of Manolo Blahnik…

The technology of virtual reality is employed to tell the story of four iconic garments: the Chanel black dress, the stilettos of Marilyn Monroe, the Comme des Garçons top and skirt matching set, and the Vivienne Westwood corset.

Really, nothing is left out:  producers of costume jewellery, shoemakers, shirt makers, jewellers, and leather goods manufacturers… with their extraordinary outfits, accessories, shoes, bags, and objects: all the images taken with a Google Art Camera are in high resolution, allowing the artistry of each item to be fully appreciated, with never before seen details.

Italy’s inclusion in this exhibition was accordingly a must, featuring interviews with some of Italy’s leading figures in fashion.  Among them are included the stories behind Salvatore Ferragamo’s creations for famous Hollywood icons, the tale of Sorelle Fontana, the brand which defined the history of Italian fashion, but also the journey of Gianfranco Ferrè to India and China in search of creative inspirations.  It is also possible to visit the exhibition “Bellissima. Italy and High fashion 1945-1968”, which inaugurated at the MAXXI in Rome in 2014 and depicts an era of Italian culture characterized by a moment of extraordinary creativity.

Finally, there are the collections at Palazzo Madama with 350 clothing articles and accessories, and the archive of the Footwear Museum of Villa Foscarini Rossi, where it is possible to discover unique and original footwear.