Ferragamo backs Leonardo da Vinci exhibition. Lourve gets fashion show

BLOUIN | ARTINFO
by Ann Binlot

"The Virgin Child with St. Anne," (1510) by Leonard da Vinci

ITALY -- Leonardo da Vinci’s relationship with fashion became evident in January when Florentine fashion house Gherardini produced one of the polymath’s nearly-forgotten handbag designs. Now Italian fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo is helping to support the work of the Renaissance artist by sponsoring a spring exhibition at the Louvre in Paris. On view from March 29 through June 25, the exhibition will mark the restoration of Leonardo’s circa 1510 oil-on-wood masterpiece “The Virgin and Child With Saint Anne.” Ferragamo will celebrate its role in sponsoring the exhibition by presenting its 2012 runway show on June 12 inside the French institution — a first for any fashion label. The runway will span almost 400 feet, beneath the arches of the Denon peristyle that surrounds the Louvre, reports WWD. [link]