Today, Schiaparelli is a brand known to distort the shape and reimagine the form of the wearer. This legacy of whimsical, otherworldly fashion started with founder Elsa Schiaparelli&rsquo;s surrealist vision.

Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer, aristocrat, poet, and artist. The creator of the trompe l&rsquo;oeil sweater and the &ldquo;shocking pink&rdquo; colour, the <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/extravagance-meets-ethnicity-at-schiaparelli-haute-couture-fall-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Schiaparelli brand</a> continues to create wearable art.

Schiaparelli Trompe l'oeil sweater, 1927

Zsa Zsa Gabor in Schiaparelli, 1952

Early Days of Schiaparelli

Following the success of rival <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/culture/coco-chanel-and-igor-stravinsky-a-mysterious-love-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coco Chanel</a>, Elsa Schiaparelli emerged in Paris as another boundary-breaking fashion designer in the time between the two world wars. As Chanel defined the classic look of a woman, Schiaparelli brought it to another dimension.&nbsp;
The Schiaparelli look was embraced by the strongest starlets, including actresses Lauren Bacall, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Marlene Dietrich. Between her protruding skeleton dresses, fanciful eye motifs, and high-shoulder suits, her designs were innovative, powerful, and occasionally controversial.

Skeleton Dress, 1938

Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali's jewelry collaboration

Suit, 1938

Schiaparelli's Success Grows

Elsa Schiaparelli was a figurehead in the eras of dadaism and <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/art/schiaparelli-exhibition-mad-surrealism-art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surrealism</a>. These art movements produced works in a variety of mediums that depicted inter-dimensional, dreamlike visions; imagining life in another reality.&nbsp;
Throughout the 1930s, Schiaparelli&rsquo;s contemporaries were the likes of fine artist <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/art/salvador-dali-cach-mang-hoa-the-gioi-bang-listen-thuat-ngong-cuong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Salvador Dali</a>, photographer Man Ray, and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. With a slew of artistic collaborations and a rich creative imagination, Schiaparelli converged fashion and art in her work&mdash;making the two seemingly separate forms one.&nbsp;

Spiral glasses from Schiaparelli, 1951

Elsa Schiaparelli photographed by Man Ray, 1930

"Le Roy Soleil" perfume by Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali, 1946

Evening Jacket by Elsa Schiaparelli and Jean Cocteau, 1937

A Period of Rest and Rebirth

After Elsa Schiaparelli&rsquo;s passing in 1973, the brand laid dormant for a number of decades until its revival in 2012. A year after returning to the famed square in Paris, The Place Vend&ocirc;me, Schiaparelli also began a slow return to the modern fashion scene. In 2019, Schiaparelli&rsquo;s comeback was catalyzed by new Creative Director Daniel Roseberry.
With Roseberry at the helm, Schiaparelli has been reintroduced to a new generation of the fashion world. Many heritage motifs still carried through to its modern designs, allowing Schiaparelli to flourish in fashion, art, and beyond&mdash;much like Elsa Schiaparelli herself.&nbsp;
Never straying from its roots, <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/kim-kardashian-met-gala-2023-arrival-fashion-celebrity-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Schiaparelli</a> put forth a number of surreal, warped, and avant-grade designs.

Schiaparelli Haute Couture, Fall 2021

Schiaparelli Haute Couture, Spring 2021

Schiaparelli Ready to Wear, Spring 2022

Schiaparelli Haute Couture, Spring 2022

Between haute couture and ready-to-wear collections, the Maison has made its way down red carpets on some of pop culture&rsquo;s most influential, including Lady Gaga, <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/music/beyonce-renaissance-tour-fashion-looks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beyonc&eacute;</a>, and Kim Kardashian. While attending Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in 2022 with Kanye West, Julia Fox wore a cone bustier from Schiaparelli's Spring/Summer 2022 collection.&nbsp;
The brand whose name was once synonymous with some of Paris's most innovative and influential creatives has now been reborn as a modern reflection of that legacy.

A History of Maison Schiaparelli

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