The Surreal Fashion
‘‘Dress designing, incident ally, is to me not a profession but an ar t’’ Elsa Schiaparelli
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Editors Letter The first time I heard about Elsa was during my fashion history lesson. The story that attracted my attention was about how in the young age she thought that wasn’t beautiful enough and decided to plant flower seeds in her mouth, nose and ears. By nightfall, she felt breathless and sick. It took two doctors to remove the seeds. Her plan flopped, but later she managed to plant a different kind of seed...This story made me want to know more about this lady and by doing a lot of research I dived into the surrealistic world of fashion that Elsa Schiaparelli invented.
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1st Success
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In the mid-1920s, Elsa Schiaparelli let her creativity flourish and became a freelance designer. Her simple yet radical, ingenious idea was a hand-knit pullover with a black and white trompe-l’œil motif. This sweater was immediately deemed a “masterpiece” by Vogue and the United States made it a star product within a few months. Although she founded her company in her own apartment in 1927, the business really took off the following year when she set up ateliers, salons and offices at 4, rue de la Paix with “Schiaparelli – Pour le Sport” (Schiaparelli – Sportswear) on the door plate. The collection of knitwear pieces was fleshed out with swimsuits, beach pyjamas and accessories. The motifs became more varied, as did the colors, playing on contrasts.
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Born to invent I From 1929 onwards, Elsa Schiaparelli introduced a growing number of innovations in terms of materials, cuts, details and accessories: a raincoat in rubberized wool and silk, jumpsuits with visible zips, the first evening dress (a wrap dress with a plunging neckline), culottes (which would cause a scandal in England), strong-shouldered suits (the ancestor of the power suit), reversible black and white evening dresses, aerodynamic cuts created by skilfully placed flounces, eccentric hats.She was the first to give her collections a theme: the “typhoon” look, the “parachute” look, “Stop, Look & Listen”, “Le Cirque” (circus), “Commedia dell’Arte”, “Païenne” (pagan),“Astrologie”, etc. Elsa had a chromatic vision: she invented shocking pink, a pure, vibrant, undiluted, intense and lively pigment. Schiaparelli reputation was such that she became the first female fashion designer to be featured on the cover of the American magazine Time in 1934.
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Schiaparelli and Dali
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Of all of Schiaparelli’s artistic collaborations, it is the one with Salvador Dali which produced some of the most imaginative and unusual results. In 1936, Schiaparelli and Dali presented suits and jackets with bureau-drawer pockets reflecting themes prevalent in Dali’s Art. In that same year, she and Dali created the “Shoe Hat”, a black felt concoction in the shape of a high-heeled shoe with a shocking pink heel. In these designs, Schiaparelli and Dali used the idea of displacement, where an object is selected and then removed from its usual environment. That same year also saw the creation of the iconic, Dali inspired lobster dress. An elegant party dress imprinted with a giant lobster. The lobster was a prime example of the Surrealist vocabulary of forms, Dali using it as a substitute for female genitalia and sexuality.
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Elsa vs Coco In Paris in the ‘30s, Elsa Schiaparelli can be seen as a perky, colourful and irreverently entertaining feature of the fashion scene. The exceedingly jealous and insecure Chanel especially disliked her and tried to dismiss her, but Schiap was too strong to be affected by such comments. Rather like a colourful, amusing parrot, she had a fun life, and made a lot of noise throughout it. Did she eclipse Chanel as the leader of the Paris fashion scene? Certainly in column inches. Her name was increasingly featured more than her rival’s, and she was known across the civilized world as symbolizing daring, wit and stylish glamour — surprisingly perhaps, considering her Italian background.
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Prompted by business uncertainties precipitated by the war, Schiaparelli left Paris in 1941 and moved to New York, where, rather than designing, she involved herself with war-related volunteer activities, including providing service as a nurse’s aide. Her design house remained open, but collections were prepared by associates.
Later Career
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Shocking Pink
In 1954, the House of Schiaparelli declared bankruptcy and its founder retired, spending most of her time in Tunisia, where she had built a home. She died in Paris at the age of eightythree. At her request, she was buried in a ‘shocking pink’ pajama set.
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The House Today In April 2019, Maison Schiaparelli announces the appointment of Daniel Roseberry as artistic director for all collections, projects and for the image of the house founded by Elsa Schiaparelli in 1927. His modern and innovative creative vision and its multiple talents will allow the House to deploy all of its activities in respect of this unique heritage that has made Schiaparelli a revolutionary brand.
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‘‘In dif f icult times,fashion is always outrageous’’ Elsa Schiaparelli
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Sources Colby Mugraby. “The art of surrealist fashion”, Minniemuse, May 2019 (online). Available at: https://www.minniemuse.com/ articles/art-of/surrealist-fashion (Accessed: 28 May 2020). Colin McDowel. “Education : Elsa Schiaparelli”, BOF, August 2015 (online). Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/ education/elsa-schiaparelli-1890-1973 (Accessed: 27 May 2020). Emilio Macellari. “The life of Elsa”, Schiaparelli, April 2019 (online). Available at: https://www.schiaparelli.com/en/21place-vendome/the-life-of-elsa/ (Accessed : 28 May 2020). Reeder, Jan. “Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. (online) New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000– https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/elsa/hd_elsa.htm (Accessed: 28 May 2020). UKEssays. “Exploring Surrealism In Fashion Essay”, November 2018. [online]. Available at: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/fashion/exploring-surrealism-in-fash-
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May 2020
Edited by Anastasia Zemleanschih Amsterdam Fashion Institute