Attilio Comelli (1858–1925, born Attilio Giuseppe de Comelli von Stuckenfeld) was an Italian designer of wealthy ancestry who came to London in the late 19th century. In the 1890s he was appointed house designer to the Royal Opera House and was responsible for providing the costumes for the first London performances of many operas. He quickly established himself as one of the most prolific designers for the London stage and worked as Artist in Chief at both the Alhambra and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and also produced designs for some of the Savoy operas.
Comelli's working process involved thoroughly researching the period of a play to inform his design choices, writing: 'I first spend some weeks in studying, at the British and South Kensington Museum, every available authority on the period, and I frequently send my brother to Paris and Berlin, if there is a chance of getting information there that is not available in London'. The brother he refers to is likely Emilio Andrea Comelli (1862–1929), also a costume maker or designer active in London during the early 20th century.
Much of Comelli's work is held in public collections internationally and does not often come on to the open market. His designs are in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, The Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin, and the Performing Arts Collection at the Arts Centre in Melbourne.
