Trieste, the exhibition “How beautiful it is from Trieste down” inaugurated with the clothes of Raffaella Carrà.

On the morning of Friday 29 November, a meeting was held in the presence of the municipal councillor for Culture and Tourism Policies Giorgio Rossi, the press presentation of the exhibition “How beautiful it is from Trieste down. Exhibition of Raffaella Carrà's clothes”. Also speaking were the owners of “Collezioni Carrà”, Giovanni Gioia and Vincenzo Mola, and the television author Massimiliano Canè.

He has declared the municipal councilor for Culture and Tourism Policies Giorgio Rossi"The staff of my Department is made up of many women, trained professionals who work with passion, and the exhibition we are presenting today was also created by the fine group of professionals who work alongside Federico Prandi in Prandicom. With this initiative we pay homage to a woman and great artist who, in her own way, was also, as we would say today, an influencer, but an influencer who was able to build and maintain a career at the highest levels for fifty years, making the history of Italian television.”

"As you will see – he continued George Rossi – the clothes on display were made with great skill, each piece is a masterpiece of tailoring, let us remember that Made in Italy still represents a point of reference in the world in terms of quality and creativity. I sincerely thank Giovanni Gioia and Vincenzo Mola, who came to Trieste from Salerno to exhibit this magnificent selection of their collection and Massimiliano Canè, Rai author who came from Rome, also to bring us two clothes for the exhibition."

He concluded the municipal councilor for Culture and Tourism Policies Giorgio Rossi: "For this very original exhibition we thought of using the Sala Sbisà of Magazzino 26, in a context like that of Porto Vecchio-Porto Vivo which I care about in a particular way. I am pleased that Porto Vecchio has already become Porto Vivo, organizing attractive exhibitions also in Magazzino 26 can only increase the already important tourist flow in our city."

The stage costumes of Raffaella Carrà come to life again in the exhibition organized by the Municipality of Trieste and created by Prandicom – IES Trieste Lifestyle “How beautiful it is from Trieste down”, set up in the Sala Sbisà of Magazzino 26 in Porto Vecchio-Porto Vivo from 29 November to 16 February 2025.

An exhibition itinerary – presented for the first time in the Northeast – kaleidoscopic and sparkling, like the career of the national “Raffa”, an evergreen star: one of the most famous and beloved entertainment icons, from Trieste down to the entire planet. In the spaces of Magazzino 26, 35 extraordinary dresses from the private archive of Giovanni Gioia and Vincenzo Mola (Carrà collections) are on display, as well as 2 garments donated by the Rai author Massimiliano Canè, artistic consultant for the period videos which, running alongside the stage costumes, reconstruct over 30 years of history of entertainment, TV and Italian society.

The 1978 show “Ma che sera” has remained indelibly in the national memory also for the refrain of the opening theme song, “How beautiful it is to make love from Trieste down!”: Raffaella Carrà, unknowingly, had created what we can now define as the sound branding of the city. A positive and carefree image.

Collezioni Carrà has extracted from its archive a sequence of dresses that project us into the cult programs of Italian TV, and not only: through tours and film productions that have seen Raffaella Carrà as protagonist in Italy and in many latitudes of the planet, engaged in unforgettable choreographies or hosting talk shows that have changed the philosophy of television, from morning to evening prime time. We will travel from the tour of “Forte, forte, forte” (1976) to the very successful show “Carràmba! che fortuna” (2008), passing through extraordinarily successful formats such as “Pronto, Raffaella?” and “Buonasera, Raffaella”, but also “Domenica” in and various editions of “Fantastico”, the film “Barbara” and on-stage shows such as “Millemilioni”.

But it is above all a program that made history at the end of the Seventies, “Ma che sera”, that the exhibition event is inspired by: because the opening theme song of that show, the evergreen Tanti auguri! (How beautiful it is to make love), was recorded by Raffaella Carrà in 1978 for CBS: a song that referred to Trieste as a city from which love could descend, with verses that promoted for the first time, with verve, extraordinary foresight and a formidable relevance even for the times we live in, almost 50 years later, the image of a woman capable of self-determination, free, independent. Also for this reason the exhibition event in Trieste reveals itself as a passionate dedication to a great woman of entertainment, to her talent and her humanity.

An exhibition that transports us, like a glittering glamorous time machine, through 32 years of television, entertainment, social evolution and customs, on the wings of one of the most iconic and beloved characters in Italy and around the world.

A truly exceptional collection is on display in Trieste, among rhinestones, sequins, chiffon, Swarovski stones, sparkles, precious fabrics, original cuts, always personal, haute couture. Sizes from 38 to 42, clothes that weigh up to ten kilos, dresses designed by well-known show business brands such as Gabriele Mayer and his artistic tailoring (which also produced many dresses by Renato Zero and Lorella Cuccarini or costumes for films such as Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette).

Many other professionals from the entertainment world also signed the clothes, such as Corrado Colabucci and Luca Sabatelli: clothes that represent a cultural and artistic heritage, from which the style of the character Carrà is revealed to visitors in his impeccable blond bob, in his mischievous elegance and in the excesses worn with irony. Sequined dresses, evening costumes and jumpsuits but also jackets, patterns from optical to super chic, many outfits suspended between white, black and red – the most loved colours – but also gold, midnight blue and silver. Thirty-five rustling “caskets”, which open the icon, the myth of variety, but also the history of Italian television as Raffaella Carrà embodied it.

From Trieste down: a look at the clothes on display

The first stop on the exhibition in Sala Sbisà is the dress that focuses on Raffaella Carrà's singing career, when, between 1975 and 1980, she was the protagonist of tours in Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, England and in particular in Latin American countries, becoming a phenomenon in the export of Italian music to the world. In 1976 she recorded one of her most sensational hits “A far l'amore comincia tu” and, specifically to perform to the tune of this song, the costume designer Corrado Colabucci designed the dress that we find on display, which was then made by the historic Sartoria GP 11 of Gabriele Mayer. And this is one of the most used in the Forte Forte Forte tour of 1978: a long dress, in transparent tulle fabric with a nude effect, mostly covered in silver and gold sequins. A vertiginous slit on the front, on the neck and in the dress decorations and embroidery with Swarovski stones. It was with this dress on many occasions that she also sang the title-track of the Trieste exhibition, “Tanti auguri”.

And again, ranging among the clothes, we find selections from the 1980 film Barbara – where Carrà wears one of the dresses which awarded her the title of “Style Icon”, designed by costume designer Luca Sabatelli, it was worn to sing the song Io non vivo senza te – from the 1981 show Millemilioni (an orange, sequined, long-sleeved, crepe-trimmed bolero jacket with two applied shoulder pads) and from one of the first editions of Fantastico, the 2-1982 one linked to the Italian Lottery: in this case too, Luca Sabatelli designed the dress that saw Carrà on stage alongside Corrado, Gigi Sabani and Renato Zero.

In the tenth episode she performed the song Né con te, né senza te, wearing a long red dress in lycra, with flounces on the upper part, around the neckline, and below the knee, in organza. She will also propose it again in the program Pronto, Raffaella?, to sing the same success again.

Right from Pronto, Raffaella?, 1984 edition, the second edition of the famous morning talk show on Rai1, the theme song Dolce far niente arrives in which Raffaella Carrà wears the costume designer Gabriele Mayer's dress consisting of a bodysuit and an applied skirt that, during the ballet rehearsals, Raffaella has unstitched so she can move more easily. It is a riot of multicolored Swarovski. She will also wear it in the 16th episode of the second edition of Hola Raffaella, to perform Quando calienta el sol.

And again: in the 1985/1986 television season Carrà was the host of the supershow Buonasera Raffaella, with 10 episodes broadcast from Rome and the last 5 live from the Rai Corporation Studios in New York. For the theme song of the program Fidati, costume designer Gabriele Mayer designed the knee-length dress in light blue jersey fabric, completely covered in rhinestones and with a side slit, which we find on display. From the right shoulder, on both sides, a mini stole starts: the dress was worn by an international showgirl who was fascinated by it, Brighitte Nielsen, in 1987 for the programme Satisfaction – Midnight Festival.

Since 1986 Raffaella Carrà has hosted the program Domenica in and this time too she has achieved a record, being the first woman to present this prestigious Sunday container. The stage costumes are designed by Corrado Colabucci who for the opening theme song creates a dress, worn only for a few seconds, with a riot of different fabrics, embroidered with stones and Swarovski.

Always on Domenica in Raffaella carves out, in each episode, a small personal space where she sings her songs: to interpret “Ballo Ballo”, Corrado Colabucci designs her a one-of-a-kind dress, composed of two pieces: a body, flesh-effect, covered in silver studs and black rhinestones. The sleeves are long and embroidered with canottille. The skirt, in georgette, characterized by a basque entirely embroidered in canottille of the same color and rhinestones. In 1988 Raffaella Carrà signed a contract with Fininvest networks and her first program was the “Raffaella Carrà show”. For the first episode Luca Sabatelli designed and created what over time would be called the “casket dress”, following a hilarious joke by comedian Gianfranco D'angelo. The peculiarity is to be found in the cashmere designs all made with multicolor Cristal canes. The skirt and belt are made of black jersey fabric, studded with Swarovski. Also unforgettable in the show is the red evening dress with strong references to Spanish culture. It is made of lycra fabric with pleated taffeta flounces with a mermaid line: the fame of this dress is also due to the creation of a statuette, commissioned by Gianni Boncompagni for the release of the CD “Fiesta”.

In September 1990, to host the first episode of the television special Uno, due, tre … Rai vela d'oro, broadcast on Rai Uno, alongside Toto Cutugno and Fabrizio Frizzi, Raffaella wore a dress designed by Corrado Colabucci completely covered in small gold sequins and completed with Swarovski crystals. Long and enveloping, with a transparent tulle neckline at the front, she will wear it again to promote “Fantastico 1991”, in the photoshoot for the weekly magazine TELESETTE.

In 1992, after a long absence, Raffaella returned to the screens of TVE1 from Spain to host the program “Hola Raffaella”. In all three editions she will sing her old hits, she will propose some spectacular ballets always with the clothes of the costume designer Corrado Colabucci. After four years of absence from Italy, Raffaella returns to the national television screens with a show that will be broadcast live from the Auditorium of the Foro Italico: “Carràmba! che sorpresa” (9 episodes on Rai Uno between 1995 and 1996): the set includes the dress worn in the third episode by costume designer Graziella Pera, a wonderful white dress with black trim, sequined top, skirt with side slit and organza shirt with jewel buttons.

In the very successful show “Carràmba! che fortuna” (1999), which every week presents incredible and funny stories of those who have been kissed by luck and those who have only grazed it, Raffaella wears a series of her iconic dresses from the late nineties: the one from the tenth episode remains famous, present in the set-up, a body with silk velvet trousers designed by Corrado Colabucci.

In 2008 Raffaella Carrà returned to Rai1 with the fourth edition of “Carràmba! che fortuna”, once again combined with the Italian lottery. The stage costumes are entrusted to Luca Sabatelli who for the first episode creates an evening dress in flesh-colored elastic tulle completely covered in approximately 18.000 Swarovski crystals.

The exhibition, with free admission, will remain open from November 30, 2024 to February 16, 2025, from Thursday to Sunday from 10 am to 18 pm.

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