Vittoria Crespi Morbio

Caramba (Luigi Sapelli, 1865-1936) was the foremost theatre costume designer of his generation and probably of the entire 20th century. He reinterpreted the costume in an innovative, modern spirit which changed its conception forever. As director of stage design at La Scala as of 1921 and throughout his lifetime, his imaginative costumes were freely inspired by history, with a wealth of meticulous details and exquisite combinations, bold colours, designs and cut. Caramba was even more an artist than a stylist, and if his fame declined over the years, his costumes, many of which are preserved in the storerooms of the Teatro alla Scala or at the Opera in Rome, display a talent well worth rediscovering. From Egypt to the exotic costume, from the 18th to the 19th century, his stage apparel does not replicate an era but transfigures it in an ingenious and refreshing interpretation for each individual costume. A friend and collaborator of Mariano Fortuny, Caramba utilised new types of fabrics and sought to create light effects in order to enhance the stage garments. He took pains with the details of a button or a buttonhole as if they were crucial elements of the performance, benefitting by craftsmen specialised in embroidery and specific finishing. An extraordinarily talented draughtsman (he began his career drawing for satirical reviews) and rebellious spirit (he adopted the pseudonym Caramba to preserve the good name of his family, of Piedmontese origin), the artist always looked to the future following his instinct and innate good taste. Each of Caramba’s garments is a work of art, and as Andy Warhol said, some costumes should be hung on the wall as if they were paintings.