How Schiaparelli Is Changing The Face of Couture
Photo Credit: @elisefilippidis
Sometimes it takes a while for something truly original to be injected into the couture scene. Of course, each brand is striving to create new and exciting collections but often, owing to the nature of couture they are beautiful reinterpretations of classic designs. The house of Schiaparelli however, with its unapologetic boldness and humour is quite like no other and brings with it a refreshing lift to the world of haute couture. Never one to take itself too seriously, the house repeatedly provides an unexpected light-heartedness whilst maintaining an impeccable level of craftsmanship and exclusivity. After finding himself frustrated that commercial approachability often trumps creativity in the fashion world, creative director Daniel Roseberry was determined to keep Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy of humour and art at the centre of the brand, maintaining that creativity should never be treated as an afterthought.
Many couture houses would consider the female form to inspire their gowns and their tailoring, but not in the same way that it does Schiaparelli. Rather than designing clothes to flatter and fit the form, Schiaparelli uses the body itself as inspiration for the design. Think torsos reimagined as corsets, earrings sculpted as teeth and golden moulded breasts stitched into knitwear. In all their ostentations glory these gold adornments have quickly become a quintessential emblem of the Maison. In his latest Ready to Wear SS22 collection entitled The Surrealist’s Holiday, Roseberry was thinking of the woman behind the Maison. To capture Elsa’s identity, Roseberry played with the idea of duality; Elsa whilst she worked and Elsa whilst she played. His summary of the woman behind the brand is reassuringly close to the brand’s identity today “refined – but barbaric. Chic – but a little vulgar” a description similarly synonymous with their Haute Couture label.
Oftentimes risky in his approach, the Texan-born designer continually creates collections that possess an innate energy. Joyful and exuberant, this is the epitome of wearable art, meant to be enjoyed and talked about, this is not couture to silently wear to a stuffy dinner. So creative are the collections that despite the brand being founded in 1890 they consistently feel revived and refreshed, like having a new designer on the scene but with the respect and expertise only associated with a brand with such an acclaimed history. One only needs to look backwards to remember Elsa collaborating with the great Salvador Dali, creating dresses that now rightfully live in museums. The brand’s insistence to continue to work with the some of the worlds most renowned creatives that represent the modern woman, has allowed them to remain at the forefront of the cut-throat couture world. Chosen by women to be worn at monumental moments in their careers, it is no surprise Lady Gaga chose to wear a Schiaparelli gown to sing at Joe Biden’s 2021 presidential inauguration.
A revival in couture as significant as Alexander McQueen’s much esteemed Savage Beauty, the Schiaparelli brand is far more impressive than just beautiful clothes, it is wearable art. Producing forms with a humorous and delightfully unpredictable tone, Roseberry has brought the fun back into fashion and we cannot wait to see what he does next.
by Elise Filippidis (Staff Fashion & Beauty Writer)
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Edited by Charlotte Osment (Editorial Assistant)
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