The Shocking Life of Elsa Schiaparelli

Elsa Schiaparelli was a monumental designer of her time, creating innovative, daring and surreal clothes that became wearable art. Despite her immense significance in the haute couture world, why has this ground-breaking designer not received the same recognition as her rival Coco Chanel?

Elsa was born into aristocratic family in Rome in 1890, never accepted and often regarded as bizarre. After releasing a book of sensual poems called “Arethusa”, her parents were so shocked and outraged that they sent her to a convent in Switzerland. After going on a hunger strike, she left to start a new life for herself, leaving behind the culture and family she grew up in.

After leaving a complicated (to say the least) marriage, she and her daughter moved to Paris. It was there that she met cutting edge couturier Paul Pioret, known for his experimental style, bold prints and extreme fabrics. He was a revolutionary designer of women’s fashion, and one of the first to collaborate with an artist on his clothing. In her autobiography Schiaparelli described Pioret as a “generous mentor [and] a true friend”, giving her extravagant clothing from his collection to wear and encouraging her to take the plunge into the fashion world herself.

After 5 years of establishing herself doing freelance designs, Schiaparelli released the jumper that would change her life forever, even landing her a feature in Vogue. The infamous trompe-l’oeil motif jumper that became synonymous with the designer was released in 1927, creating an optical illusion of a scarf tied around the neck. The sensation caused when worn by Schiaparelli herself to a luncheon solidified her role in the fashion industry, putting her on the map as a modern and creative new designer.

Photo: Wikipedia

In 1930, she opened her own atelier, The House of Schiaparelli. She was a woman ahead of her time, constantly breaking the rules of fashion. She was heavily inspired by surrealist art movements, incorporating futurism and cubism in her designs with the use of strong lines, striking colours and patterns.

Schiaparelli collaborated with many surrealism artists like Jean Cocteau, Leonor Fini and most notably, Salvador Dalí. The pair worked together, fusing art created by Dalí into fashion and creating iconic pieces like the Lobster Dress, the  Skeleton Dress, the Tears Dress and the Shoe Hat.

It wasn’t just her work in couture fashion that she is renowned for, but also her innovations in every-day wear. She was one of the first people to develop the timeless wrap dress, creating a functional and flattering design for women of all shapes and sizes that has seen various takes by other designers to this day. She created practical pieces with new technologies such as the built-in bra, swimsuits and is even credited as the first to use visible zippers on clothing. Rather than concealing them, they became a staple of her designs. She had an ability to take something ordinary and put her own unique twist on it, as she did with her use of unusual, ornately crafted buttons.

Of all her contributions to fashion, one stands out. In 1937, she made “shocking pink” her signature colour. While she may not have invented the colour, she certainly popularised the hot pink we know today. The colour would inspire her best-selling perfume Shocking and her autobiography Shocking Life.

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Her incredible, ground-breaking work continually made headlines, setting her apart from her rival and industry titan Coco Chanel, famously referring to Schiaparelli as “that Italian artist who makes clothes”. Chanel was renowned for her chic and classic designs which clashed with the unconventional and eccentric clothing of Schiaparelli, who saw Chanel as lacking in creativity.

In 1934, Schiaparelli was the first woman designer to make the cover of Time Magazine. In this issue, while Chanel was referred to as “not at present the most dominant influence in fashion”, Schiaparelli was grouped with designers who were “now at or near the peak of their power as arbiters of the ultra-modern haute couture” and referred to as “the one to whom the word "genius" is applied most often.”

Photo: TIME Magazine -- U.S. Edition -- August 13, 1934 Vol. XXIV No. 7

So where did it all go wrong? Things took a turn for the worst for Schiaparelli following World War 2. She had gone to New York on a lecture tour but stayed to volunteer as a nurse’s aide at Bellevue Hospital during the war. Upon returning to Paris after the war ended, she found new designers had emerged, with Christian Dior’s “new look” symbolising a new era of fashion and putting an end to pre-war fashion. It was in 1954 that she would close the doors to her fashion house for good, the same year that her nemesis Coco Chanel returned to fashion. From here she would continue the brand through her perfume company until her passing in 1973, but the closing of her haute couture business ultimately led to the Chanel name and brand being more recognizable today.

The House re-established its couture roots in 2014, opening up a boutique and releasing a collection under designer Marco Zanini. Today, Elsa’s spirit is being kept alive through their work under American designer Daniel Roseberry, still producing Haute Couture collections but with a move towards ready-to-wear garments.

Elsa Schiaparelli was a visionary, and her fearless approach to fashion has undoubtedly paved the way for other eccentric designers who have followed in her footsteps. She made her mark on the world with her profound contributions to fashion. While her name may not be as recognizable as her competitors, her influence is still significant. Her legacy lives on and is celebrated through exhibitions and the resurgence of her brand.