The “Couture/Sculpture” exhibition of stunning dresses by Azzedine Alaia, at the Italian capital’s Villa Borghese “is not a fashion exhibition, but rather an exhibition about sculpture, and more precisely about statues,” gallery director Anna Coliva told AFP reporters.

The body-skimming, feminine garments on display seem perfectly at home off the runway, resting among Berninis and other classical masterpieces.

The designer’s aim was to “make soft sculptures from a material that’s different from bronze or marble: from cloth”, Coliva added.