Italian designer Roberto Capucci, commonly referred to as the "architect of fashion," exemplifies the synthesis of high fashion and fine art. Born in Italy in the early nineteen thirties, he opened his own fashion house in Rome, Via Sistina, at age twenty-one. He opened another couture house in Paris, gaining recognition for his designs in the fashion capital. His career developed during the post WWII restoration of the Italian economy that marked the beginnings of the high fashion industry in Italy. During this time, Rome became the center for the rise of Italian filmmaking, bringing in high profile actresses who sought the city's most talented designers for their personal wardrobes. He designed costumes for operas and films, and his career flourished alongside this period of growth. He studied at The Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome and earned recognition as one of the best fashion designers in Italy, even receiving praise for his work from Christian Dior. His pieces are recognized for their creativity, flow, variation of medium, and architectural construction, explaining Capucci's association as an artist more than as a fashion designer.

Much like art in its pure form of self expression, Capucci never worked to please an audience or for commercial and economic success. His fashion shows were conducted in pure silence, and he refused to duplicate or modify his designs to fit specific customers; the artistic proportions of his pieces came first. Capucci drew much of his inspiration from nature, for example in his "Foglie" (leaves). He employed mediums such as pebbles and bamboo, and mirrored organic forms he observed from his surroundings. The folds in his gown called "Nove Gone" (Nine Dresses) are based on the image of the concentric circles that form around a pebble after it is dropped into a pool of water.

Despite the success of his fashion shows and collections, the rising demand for the immediate satisfaction of ready-to-wear collections forced him to resign from the commercial side of fashion. Instead of choosing to make his pieces more practical or sellable, he decided to focus on furthering his artistic focus and creativity in his desgins. His pieces are now exhibited beside other major works of art in museums around the world. His stress on employing the highest quality of materials, craftsmanship, and ultimate overall success exemplifies the rise of fashion as a serious form of artistic expression.

The first exhibition of his work in the United States begins on March 16th, 2011 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, featuring over 80 different works. Pieces range from his original sketches to his famous sculpture- dresses. Along with nature, his work is highly praised for its architectural style, such as in his "Arancia" (orange) because of his use of cuts, line, fold, and construction. The exhibit includes his piece based on classical Doric architectural columns, his "Colonna" silhouette.

Roberto Capucci is an example of a designer who challenges the border between fashion and fine art.