| Maria Antonelli | |
| Nationality: | Italian |
| Birth Date: | 1903 |
| Death Date: | 1969 |
| Occupation: | Fashion designer |
Maria Antonelli (1903–1969) was an Italian fashion designer. A pioneer of Italian fashion design, Antonelli took part in the first Italian fashion shows.
Maria Antonelli was born in 1903. She was apprenticed at Battilocchi Tailoring in Rome.[1]
Antonelli founded her eponymous fashion house in 1930. In July 1951, together with other designers such as Vincenzo Ferdinandi, Roberto Capucci, the Atelier Carosa, Giovannelli-Sciarra, Polinober, Germana Marucelli and Jole Veneziani, she took part in the show organised by Giovanni Battista Giorgini in Florence that attempted to establish Italian fashion as a rival to France.[2] Her designs have been described as having "minimalist silhouettes which pre-empted the 60s trend".[3] She dressed the actresses Clara Calamai, Anna Magnani, and Alida Valli. In 1969, she took part in the Mare Moda festival, where her models were described by Antony King-Deacon of The Times as "thrashing about with their arms and legs in a sort of frenzied apathy. On they ran, harem-scarem, wiggle, scream, and they were gone."[4]
Antonelli died in 1969. Her designs featured in the Victoria & Albert Museum's exhibition The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014 in 2014.[5]