In difficult times fashion is always outrageous, concluded Elsa Schiaparelli many years ago and whether or not her iconic designs support this statement, can be checked while visiting an exhibition dedicated to her in Musée des Arts Decofratifs in Paris. https://madparis.fr/Shocking-Les-mondes-surrealistes-d-Elsa-Schiaparelli
SHOCKING. THE SURREAL WORLDS OF ELSA SCHIAPARELLI, curated by Olivier Gabet (Museum director) and Marie-Sophie Carron de la Carrière will be on show until 22nd January 2023.
Elsa Schiaparelli (1890 – 1973) was born in Rome, to an affluent family with aristocratic connections. Her father was a university professor of oriental literature, her mother a descendant of the Medici. Elsa received solid education in humanities and enjoyed the privilege of growing up in an intellectually stimulating environment, meeting artists and scholars visiting her parents’ house. Unsurprisingly, when she came to Paris in 1920, she befriended and worked with Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, Leonor Fini, Jean – Michel Frank, Meret Oppenheim, Alberto Giacometti, Raoul Duffy, Horst, Cecil Beaton, Man Ray, and many others. Her first mentor, the one who spotted her talent and encouraged her to do fashion design was Paul Poiret.
She went down in fashion history as a designer who drew inspiration from the artistic trends of the 1920s and 30s, above all from Surrealism, which was present in almost all areas of the visual arts. Thus, her designs feature surprising anthropomorphic and organic motifs such as lips, eyes, hands or shells, insects, and plants, serving both decorative and practical functions. To this day, her proposals still surprise with their originality and a good deal of humor.
The retrospective exhibition in Paris spreads over two floors and features her designs from 1927, when she presented her first collection till 1954, when her maison de couture was closed, and includes 577 pieces – garments, hats, jewelry, gloves, shoes, perfume bottles and absolutely beautiful drawings, presented in chronological order.
Her fashion collections were theme focused which is reflected in the way the exhibition is arranged. Separate display areas present Schiaparelli’s fashion collections from the first one (1927) dominated by jumpers with trompe d’oeil, a pattern knitted into the garment, creating optical illusion of collars, bows or ties. These jumpers brought her an overnight commercial success and there are quite a few of them on display. Further there are outfits inspired by her Italian heritage, bringing up motifs of Roman antiquity and Italian Renaissance. There are also collections inspired by nature, astrology, and commedia dell’arte.
Separate room is dedicated to Elsa’s cooperation with Salvador Dali. As a surrealist Dali rejected rational vision of the world, giving priority to dreams and subconsciousness being directly inspired by Freud. The result of their collaboration was famous shoe hat, scandalous lobster dress, or famous skeleton dress, all included in the exhibit.
This text is becoming longer than I have planned but I cannot skip mentioning beautiful embroidery display, mostly done by Françoise Lesange, a celebrated embroidery artist who opened his Maison Leasnge in 1924 and was successfully working for many fashion designers including Chanel and Lacroix. The Maison still exists and the prestigious Ecole Lesange in Paris trains embroidery artists and artisans.
The period of Schiaparelli’s commercial success was the 1920s and 1930s, and her clientele at the time included women with distinctive personalities and strong characters who shaped the climate of their time – Wallis Simpson, Vivien Leigh, Marlene Dietrich, Grete Garbo, Laurel Bacall, Ginger Rogers, Juliete Greco and Mae West.
The word “shocking” in the exhibition’s title recurs several times in Schiaparelli’s work. In 1937, a perfume signed by the designer was created and named “Shocking”. The flacon, which can be seen at the exhibition, was designed by Leonor Fini and the bottle is extremely reminiscent of Jean Paul Gaultier perfumes while the cap with a flower motif has much in common with the packaging of contemporary perfumes offered by Marc Jacobs.
The same year there Elsa introduced a new colour, which she called, how else, “Shocking Pink”, and which today is often referred to as “fuchsia”.
The colour, vibrant, saturated, and energetic, created by adding a bit of white to magenta, became her signature. It has never been out of fashion since which I have confirmed visiting my nearby shopping center. Shocking Pink embodies strong, positive femininity and functions as a counterweight to soft, pastel pinks associated with an image of a delicate, weak woman.
From 1954 Maison Schiaparelli was closed. In 2006 it was purchased by Diego Della Valle, the founder of Italian luxury group TOD’S. In 2012 it reopened at the old address, Place Vendôme 21 in Paris. In 2019 Daniel Roseberry, an American born fashion designer (1985) was appointed a new artistic director. His designs are interwoven into the exhibition, and it looks like the company is in very good hands again. Using a lot of black and gold mixed with references to Surrealism, Roseberry cleverly continues Schiaparelli’s aesthetics giving it a contemporary twist. The efforts have been appreciated, recent clients include Lady Gaga and Beyonce.
There is an ongoing dispute weather fashion is an art or does it belong to material culture? Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy proves it is undoubtedly an art and she considered herself an artist rather than a dress maker. I am convinced that visiting LES MONDES SURREALISTES D’ELSA SCHIAPARELLI will leave you with no doubts in that matter.
Earrings designed by Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli