Cerca
The present work sheds new light on the figure of Maria Monaci Gallenga (1980-1944) and her role in the history of Italian fashion and culture. Forgotten for decades, only in recent times the name has sporadically re-emerged. The cross-cultural dynamics featuring the fashion phenomenon have not been analyzed in-depth, also neglecting Gallenga’s resistance and rebellion to the fashion codes of the regime. Likewise, the links of the Gallenga family with the Pre-Raphaelite movement and the Rossetti family in London, as well as the importance of the artistic academic background of Ernesto Monaci’s family have largely been overlooked. The importance of Gallenga as a pioneer luxury entrepreneur, creation of her own brand, and her activity of promoting the Italian language and culture has so far been neglected. Mysteriously, after the years of success and acclaim in France, England, and in the United States, Maria Gallenga disappeared from the scene.