Elsa Schiaparelli was a maverick of her time, and continues to inspire daring couturiers.
There are a handful of designers that you can confidently say changed the face of fashion. Elsa Schiaparelli was undoubtedly one of them.
With no design background and entering the world of fashion at 37, she transformed the way women dress, and influenced the dramatic glamour that we continue to see today.
Elsa first penned the skirt/trouser silhouette that we now call culottes…
and Elsa first started using zips as a fashion feature making bicycling and playing sport such as tennis much easier.
and El first started using zips as a fashion feature.
Above all, Elsa is the creator of the bright pink hue dubbed “Schiaparelli pink” (which some refer to as ‘shocking pink’).
Elsa was one of Coco Chanel’s fiercest rivals — an Italian born into affluence, she stumbled into fashion on almost a whim, as an outlet for her creativity and restless mind.
Elsa often collaborated with her surrealist artist friends… Hello, Dali! to launch some of the most brazen and ahead-of-their-time pieces.
Elsa and Salvador Dali
Salvador’s lobster telephone hand set…
inspired Elsa’s lobster dress in the 1930s.
Schiaparelli Fashion House was founded in 1927 by Elsa. Throughout the 20s, 30s, 40s and early 50s, Elsa created many iconic designs.
In 1954, she chose to close to devote herself to writing her own autobiography- Shocking life - in her signature shocking pink color… not a shocker!
House of Schiaparelli re-opened in 2012.
In 2017, Schiaparelli was awarded with the official Haute Couture label by French Ministry of Industry and the French Couture Federation.
Spring / Summer 2021 marks Schiaparelli’s third collection by Artistic Director Daniel Roseberry.
“These are clothes that make you aware of the fact of your body, that make you think about how you move through the world.”