Elsa Schiaparelli’s boldness and eccentricity are relived in the current exhibition at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. This retrospective of 577 works is a celebration of the Italian designer’s brilliant, creative, and avant-garde style that made fashion and art converge through Surrealism.
From July 6th, 2022, until January 23rd, 2023, visitors will get the opportunity to dive into the artistic world of the late Italian-born, Parisian-by-heart fashion designer at the exhibition “Shocking ! Les mondes surréalistes d’Elsa Schiaparelli”. This display takes you on a journey through Elsa Schiaparelli’s inspirations, designs, clothing creations, and collaborations with artists from other fields, such as painters, sculptors, and photographers.
Despite being a couturier, she was considered an artist among her educated and cultured group of friends, which comprised several influential personalities such as Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau, Horst, Man Ray, and Cecil Beaton.
Credits: Melissa Vega
The entire display honours the life of the rebellious designer that went against all standards established at the time and transformed the way Haute Couture was perceived in the 1930s and the 1940s.
After living briefly in London and New York, Elsa Schiaparelli moved to Paris in the 1920s. The French capital was where she met influential art and fashion figures who became her muses and friends. Meeting Paul Poiret, in particular, was a milestone in her professional path, as it encouraged her to develop a successful career in fashion.
Credits: Melissa Vega
Visitors can explore her odd, audacious, and art-influenced style by appreciating hundreds of workpieces, between garments, accessories, perfumes, and paintings. 212 of them were her sole creations, while others were made in collaboration with other artists, like the iconic ‘Lobster Dress’, which was created by working together with Salvador Dalí.
Credits: Melissa Vega
If anything, Elsa Schiaparelli symbolised modernity, innovation, and culture. Her praise for hosting true spectacles instead of regular runways and her unique sense of freedom were pivotal in projecting herself through her creations.
Moreover, some of the pieces displayed prove the Italian designer’s strong fashion legacy, as they were created by other designers, like Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano and Azzedine Alaïa, who reinterpreted her exuberant aesthetic.
Credits: Melissa Vega
Even Daniel Roseberry, the current artistic director of Maison Schiaparelli since 2019, is highlighted in this exhibition. He has brought back to life Elsa’s eccentric designs, fascination for Surrealism and key fashion elements, such as the use of gold accessories, denim, and leather, as a way to honour the fashion house’s creator.
Roseberry has respected Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy by including her most symbolic elements but has reinvented the Maison by experimenting with new materials and designs. Therefore, some of his iconic creations are also exhibited at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, especially the ones that pay homage to Elsa and others worn by celebrities like Beyoncé, Bella Hadid and Lady Gaga.
Credits: Melissa Vega
Overall, this astonishing retrospective not only follows Elsa Schiaparelli’s life, professional path, and artistic collaborations with friends who inspired her to continue building a career in which fashion and surreal art merged into one, but also demonstrates why Haute Couture is marked by a ‘before and after’ of the Roman-born, self-defined “inspired” couturier entering the Parisian fashion scene with her bold, “shocking” yet sophisticated essence.