Everything you need to know about: Schiaparelli

Schiaparelli is a French couture maison known for fusing art, fashion and creative inventiveness. The brand is closely tied to various artists, in particular names of the surrealist movement of the 1930s to 1950s.

Origins

Elsa Schiaparelli first made a name for herself in the early 1920s with a knitwear series that featured trompe l'oeil effects. In the following decade, the eponymous maison gained recognition in the Parisian and international fashion scene, soon bringing forward collaborations with European artists including Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali, Man Rey, Meret Oppenheim and more.

Evolution

Between the 30s and 50s, Schiaparelli infused the fashion scene with an unusually surrealistic approach. The collections of the maison called to life new ideas and approaches to fashion, including signature styles featuring oversized gold jewellery, symbolism, as well as decadent materials and sumptuous embellishments. The collections were created under specific leitmotifs, turning the presentations into theatrical shows that took the audience and later the wearer into other worlds. After more than two remarkably successful decades, Schiaparelli closed her maison in the 1950s.

News

In 2014 Schiaparelli presented the first haute couture collection since 1954. Not least with the takeover of Daniel Roseberry as artistic director in 2019, the maison has experienced a revival. The SS22 couture show found stark resonance within the fashion industry, with a collection that was entirely dedicated to one of Elsas deepest sources of inspiration: surrealism. The brand continues to deliver shows that stun their audience with fashion design that finds balance between the maisons roots and a new contemporary take. In summer 2022 the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris opened an exhibition dedicated to Elsa Schiaparelli and her brand, illustrating the impact on fashion that she had in the mid century.