Magazzini Vittoria, Milan, 1909 Italian Fashion Poster in Full Colour

Created in 1909 by Italian artist Aldo Mazza, this magnificent advertising poster for Milan’s Magazzini Vittoria transforms fashion, fabric and colour into one continuous sweep of movement. A red-haired woman turns gracefully through cascading ribbons of coral pink, emerald green, golden yellow and deep burgundy. Beneath her, a magnificent peacock raises its jewel-toned head as its elaborate plumage flows into the surrounding textiles.

The Artist: Aldo Mazza

Aldo Mazza was a Milanese painter, illustrator and poster artist celebrated for his sophisticated contribution to Italian commercial design. His signature, “A. Mazza ’09,” appears on the left side of the poster, identifying the work and its year of creation. Mazza combines fine draughtsmanship with the direct visual impact required of street advertising. Rather than treating the poster as a simple announcement, he created a complete decorative world in which the woman, fabric, typography and peacock all contribute to the same flowing composition.

The Italian Text

The principal wording reads, "Magazzini “Vittoria.” In English, "Vittoria Department Store." The remaining text advertises: Tessuti · Confezioni · Novità, meaning, "Fabrics · Ready-to-Wear Clothing · New Arrivals." The address identifies the business at 18 Via Tre Alberghi in Milan. The phrase casa propria indicates that the store operated from premises it owned.

Fabric Set Free

The true subject of Mazza’s poster is not simply the fashionable woman. It is fabric itself. Instead of showing textiles neatly folded on shelves, the artist releases them into the composition. Great expanses of colour sweep diagonally across the image, curling around the figure like wind, water or theatrical scenery. The woman appears to direct this movement with her raised arm and extended hand. Her body forms a graceful curve through the centre of the poster, while the surrounding textiles seem to respond to her motion.

The Peacock as a Symbol of Luxury

The peacock was an ideal emblem for a fashionable textile house. Its feathers suggest beauty, abundance, display and extraordinary colour. Sapphire blue, turquoise, green and gold connect the bird visually with the fabrics surrounding it, making the peacock part of the same luxurious world. Its proud posture also mirrors the confidence of the woman above. The image suggests that Magazzini Vittoria offered more than practical clothing. It offered distinction, transformation and the opportunity to be noticed.

A Brilliant Use of Colour

The poster’s palette remains astonishingly fresh. The deep blue background gives the composition tremendous depth, allowing the warmer yellows, pinks and golds to leap forward. Emerald green provides a cooler counterpoint, while the peacock’s brilliant blue neck anchors the lower portion of the design. Despite the number of colours, the image never feels chaotic. Each hue leads naturally into the next, creating a controlled visual rhythm from the woman’s raised arm, through the flowing textiles and into the peacock’s elaborate feathers.

Italian Stile Liberty

The poster belongs to the flourishing world of Italian Stile Liberty, Italy’s distinctive interpretation of Art Nouveau. Its graceful curves, decorative natural forms and idealized female figure reflect the elegance of the period. Yet Mazza’s broad areas of colour, simplified shapes and powerful graphic composition already point toward the increasingly bold poster design of the twentieth century. It stands at a fascinating moment between ornamental Art Nouveau and the cleaner, more assertive language of modern advertising.

The Elliott Best Restoration Signature™

Our restoration revives the poster’s extraordinary palette while preserving the character of the original printed artwork. The deep blue background, coral gown, green textiles and golden peacock feathers have been carefully balanced and clarified. Fine linework, typography and facial details have been strengthened, while the gentle tonal variation of the historic print has been retained. The result brings Mazza’s original vision closer to view without stripping away the warmth and tactile quality of the period lithograph.

Curator’s Note: I'm amazed when we confirmed the poster dates from 1909. More than 115 years later, the colour blocking, cropped red hairstyle, confident female figure and flowing sense of movement still feel remarkably modern. The woman becomes the dress. The dress becomes fabric. The fabric becomes colour, and the colour finally spills into the magnificent tail of the peacock, making fashion feel alive!