The awakening of the myth: Gala Dalí

From Friday 21 March, the temporary exhibition The Awakening of the Myth: Gala Dalí can be visited at the Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol . This exhibition brings together the most emblematic fashion designs from previous collections and includes unpublished pieces from Gala's personal archive. The pieces on display come from three previous seasons: the Spring-Summer Collection, Haute Couture and Autumn-Winter, created in close collaboration with La Roca Village. In addition to six selected designs, the exhibition presents 10 accessories, four of which are unpublished. Among these, the Suzanne Rémy diadem, created in the thirties under the influence of Elsa Schiaparelli , and a necklace from the seventies with reminiscences of ancient Greece, which is related to the creations of the artist Lisa Sotilis , stand out. The exhibition also includes five photographs by authors linked to Gala Dalí ( Horst P. Horst , Robert Descharnes and Marc Lacroix ), which underline the importance of fashion in the construction of her public image.

Abric de nit, alta costura tardor-hivern, Elsa Schiaparelli (1935). © Fundació Gala - Salvador Dalí

The exhibition was curated by Bea Crespo , with artistic direction by Montse Aguer . For Dalí, Gala was his muse, wife, representative and collaborator. Throughout her life, Gala adopted various roles and identities related to the artist, revealing herself as a creative and determined woman who knew how she wanted to be perceived, exercising constant control over her representation in works, photographs and actions in which she participated. Aware of the image she wanted to project, Gala found in the creations of Elsa Schiaparelli , Mimi di Niscemi and Maurice Renoma a path of expression and self-discovery, which allowed her to add nuances to the legend she aspired to be. Thus, she played an active role in shaping her media image and, in a way, instigated her own myth.

Gala posant per a Vogue, Horst P, Horst (1943). © Condé Nast

This exhibition series has been made possible thanks to the study and cataloguing of the collections preserved by the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation, especially the clothing collection of Gala and Salvador Dalí. This collection includes haute couture designs by prominent creators of the 20th century, as well as prêt-à-porter pieces and a wide variety of fashion accessories from various origins. In addition to highlighting the importance of fashion in the media portrayal of Gala and Salvador Dalí, this research allows us to understand the spirit of the era and establish creative dialogues with personalities, photographers and designers who played an important role in the world of fashion.

Llaç amb vel, Herman Patrick Tappé (1940). © Fundació Gala - Salvador Dalí

This exhibition, which will be open until January 2026, also commemorates the figure of Mimi di Niscemi , an Italian-born jewelry designer who founded her own label in New York in 1960. Her maximalist and daring jewelry appeared on the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar during the 1960s and 1970s, and was appreciated by style icons such as Jackie Kennedy and the Duchess of Windsor . Gala acquired one of her pieces for the filming of the film Autoportrait mou de Salvador Dalí (1966) by Jean-Christophe Averty .

According to sources from the Dalí Foundation, this clothing exhibition has also led to the creation of an exclusive line of products inspired by Gala and her wardrobe, developed in collaboration with local artisans such as the ceramist Caterina Roma and Supertocadas.

Collar, Mimi di Niscemi (1960). © Fundació Gala - Salvador Dalí