The Birth and Rebirth of Schiaparelli

"In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous"

-Elsa Schiaparelli

The Birth of Schiaparelli

Elsa Schiaparelli carries an unmovable legacy that inspires millions to date. Schiaparelli swept the fashion world off its feet in the late 20s, with the most outrageous designs fathomable. Elsa’s creations were unique, inspired heavily by Dadaism and Surrealism.

As Elsa Schiaparelli arrived in New York in 1920, she made quick acquaintances with prominent figures in the fashion industry, enabling her to gain fame rapidly. Her big break came in 1922, with the creation of a black knitted sweater with a white bow around the neck that produced the optical effect of being a butterfly. The sweater was worn by a well-known Hollywood screenwriter, Anita Loos, leading to Strauss ordering forty more units.

Schiaparelli kickstarted her business with a women's sportswear collection featuring swimwear, linen dresses and a ski suit. She rocketed to a household name when in 1931, champion Lilí Álvarez wore a “divided skirt” created by Schiaparelli. Encouraged by the recognition her unique sense of style was garnering, Elsa opened her fashion salon on the Place Vendôme in 1935.

Elsa Schiaparelli's willingness to experiment and blend art with fashion set her apart as a pioneering designer during her era. Her collaborations with artists like Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau helped redefine the boundaries of fashion and art, leaving a lasting impact on the world of haute couture. These creative partnerships produced garments and accessories that continue to be celebrated for their innovation and artistic flair, prime examples of which would be the Skeleton Dress and the Shoe Hat.

In her successful spurt in the industry, Elsa Schiaparelli introduced some of the most useful and practical designs that are used to date. From the invention of the first bathing suit with a built-in bra, to the lady's evening jacket, Elsa’s success was undeniable.

Despite her profound impact on modern fashion, today Schiaparelli’s work is largely unknown outside the art and fashion communities. In part, it’s because she stopped designing more than 60 years ago, following the cultural schism initiated by World War II.

Elsa launched her postwar collection in 1945, receiving a shocking backlash. Times had changed, and Schiaparelli had not. The general public consensus leaned towards fashion that didn’t provoke or challenge, but invoked a sense of traditional feminine silhouettes, with the extravagance of the frills, bows and corsets. With no place for Surrealism in this new ideal, The House of Schiaparelli floundered, and Elsa presented her last collection in the fall of 1954. 

The Rebirth of Schiaparelli

An early morning in the fall of 2019, Daniel Roseberry arrived at the Schiaparelli Atelier, taking his place as the third Creative Director in the short span of five years since Schiaparelli's revival in 2014. After having worked at Thom Browne for over a decade, 30-year-old Roseberry wasn't a stranger to Haute Couture and settled in deftly at the Maison in Paris

With Roseberry at the helm, Schiaparelli has been reintroduced to a new generation of the fashion world. In the short span of three years, Schiaparelli has flourished and has secured its place as a household name.

Whilst surrealism remains the central focus of the brand, Roseberry's success is catalyzed by his unique sense of identity. Roseberry’s interpretation of the Schiaparelli spirit is to make his audience connect with his collections, aimed at conjuring up deep emotions that linger in the viewer’s minds long after a show. In this manner, Schiaparelli surpasses the temporary fads and secures its place in history.  

As of 2023, the Maison boasts a 97% conversion rate, despite the frightening prices. What is Roseberry’s formula for Schiaparelli’s dizzying success? Talking to Harper’s Bazaar, Roseberry reveals that while he’s visited Elsa Schiaparelli’s archives at The Met and The Louvre a couple of times, he likes maintaining a healthy distance from getting inspired by them, making his takeaways intuitive, and not literal.

A celebrity onslaught, it’s hard to name a female celebrity who hasn’t donned a Schiaparelli recently. From Doja Cat’s iconic head-to-toe ruby studded ensemble to Bella Hadid’s black wool maxi dress with a cleavage-baring neckline covered by a vast golden necklace replicating the bronchi passage of lungs, Roseberry’s creations have taken social media and the fashion world by storm. Bold yet whimsical, the sculptural outfits maintain a gorgeous feminine silhouette. His collections are often described as fever dreams, the gowns elevated to dramatic proportions, suitings rendered to razor-edge sharpness and gilded mould cast accessories that have become instantly recognizable.

Roseberry’s secret ingredient being his approach to Schiaparelli as a blank slate has made the brand refreshing and unconventional, helping it ascend as the most sought-after luxury fashion house in the industry.