The new Dalí and Schiaparelli exhibition at The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla., explores and celebrates the friendship and frequent collaboration between artist Salvador Dalí and fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Opening Oct. 18, the exhibition will include a selection of haute couture gowns, along with paintings, drawings, photographs, objects, accessories and jewelry.

Considered the most influential figure in fashion between World War I and II, Schiaparelli embraced daring Surrealistic themes and played with the borders of gender and art, finding an audience and following among famous names including actresses Mae West and Marlene Dietrich, and cultural figures including the Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson and heiress Daisy Fellowes. Known for superb craftsmanship and otherworldly designs pushing the boundary between design and art, Schiaparelli famously said she “invented” her dresses. She’s credited with creating the color shocking pink, the zipper in Haute Couture, trompe l’oeil garments, culottes and the newspaper print.

The distinctive museum building, dubbed The Enigma, features 1,062 triangular glass panels — the ideal setting for Schiaparelli’s creations. Beyond the temporary exhibit, the museum’s permanent collection encompasses more than 2,000 works, including 100 watercolors and drawings, and 1,300 prints, sculptures, photographs and objects. Among the events planned in celebration of the new exhibition, the museum will host a grand fashion show and black tie gala Oct. 14, and a more casual brunch Oct. 15. To accompany the exhibition, there’s a catalog including essays prepared by Dilys Blum, curator of costume and textiles, Philadelphia Museum of Art; Dalí Museum curator of exhibitions, William Jeffett; Dalí Museum director, Hank Hine; and exhibition consultant, John William Barger III.