And now, for the Costume Institute's next trick...

Curators Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton aren’t talking, but WWD reports that the 2012 fashion exhibition will focus on two legendary fashion characters: Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli.

Both designers are Italian women who shape (or shaped) the tastes of their respective eras. In the ‘30s, Schiap worked with Surrealists like Salvador Dalí in creative partnerships of which arts patron Prada would certainly approve.

Schiaparelli and Prada also share a fondness for trompe l’oeil and decorative detail—the former’s ‘tear’ dress, inspired by Dalí, wouldn’t look out of place next to Miu Miu’s cat-print or satin swan dresses. Schiaparelli practically invented shocking pink and wore hats designed to resemble upside-down shoes (which could be the next step for Prada, given her adoption of banana earrings). And both have fallen under the spell of crystal chandelier-style embellishment, as seen in these photographs taken 50 years apart.

The joyful yet wry flourish characterises the work of both of these designers, and any Costume Institute exploration of their design affinities surely would be worth a trip to New York. Let's lavish some curatorial attention on the ladies, hmm, Met?