Aschengreen Piacenti

Kirsten. In 1983 she created the Galleria del Costume for the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. It is one of the few Italian museums dedicated to fashion, and has put on many exhibits, including The Donation of Tirelli (1986) and Fashion at the Court of the Medici: The Restored Costumes of Cosimo, Eleanor and Don Garzia (1993). She was born in Madras, India to a Danish family. She received a degree in Art History from the Courtauld Institute in London and one in literature from the University of Florence. From 1971 to 1996 she worked for the Soprintendenza per i Beni Artistici e Storici di Firenze, first as a supervisor and then as director of the Museo degli Argenti at the Pitti. She was also in charge of the Museo delle Porcellane, also at the Pitti. Since 1992 she has taught the history of fashion and costume at the Catholic University of Milan. In 1996 she was appointed curator of the Museo Stibbert for which she organized the exhibi L’abito per il corpo, il corpo per l’abito (The Garment Made for the Body, The Body Made for the Garment). From 1983 to 1997 she was director of the Italian Center for the Study of the History of Textiles. She is presently director of the National Commission for the Conservation and Development of Decorative Arts, Fashion and Costume, and of the Association of Friends of the Galleria del Costume.