Artistic director Daniel Roseberry brings unadulterated joy to his third collection for Schiaparelli, for a mischievous take on the traditionally serious business of couture.
His collection pays tribute to Elsa Schiaparelli’s experimental spirit and her Surrealist approach which came to life through collaborations with Dali, Cocteau and Man Ray. Her influence is clear in the details: ‘One thing that a couture atelier can uniquely do is embellishments, and these pieces are dazzling examples of the art of embroidery and beading,’ says Roseberry. ‘I’ve always admired how Elsa embroidered pieces—in an era in which embroidery had a whispery, almost recessive quality, hers were barbaric and unapologetic.’
A Madonna and Child breastplate, fingernail rings and dresses held up by earrings set the flamboyant mood. Oversized proportions and the subversion of traditional silhouettes play with our preconceptions of what dressing up can mean.
‘Who says what couture has to be?’ adds Roseberry. ‘I wanted to challenge the idea of what couture is, and should be, by making clothes that respect the tradition of not only this Maison, but the artistry behind it, while at the same time exploding the cliches associated with the genre. I want to make an alternative couture house: here, the fantasy isn’t princess dresses or polite garments; here, the fantasy is within.’ §
