#elsa schiaparelli

Evening dress in printed black crepe, Elsa Schiaparelli, February 1936 collection n ° 104 (1936). Photography: Man Ray. Published in Harper’s Bazaar, March 1936.

Schiaparelli AW 2018

Francoise D'Origny, Viscountess D'Harcourt in a wedding dress by Schiaparelli, photo by Robert Doisneau, 1952

Wool suit by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1949-50.

(source:Metropolitan Museum of Art)

This Milos Mini-Bag design is inspired by two things:

The lines “The kisses of your lips are honey, my love” from the Song of Solomon 4:11,

andthisElsa Schiaparelli evening coat at the Victoria and Albert Museum

Elsa Schiaparelli had a wonderful, quirky way of seeing the world.  Her designs were often considered shocking, playing with contradictions and opposites, her first perfume was actually called Shocking.  

An innovative designer, way ahead of her time…she’s credited with designing the first culottes and wrap-dress, and the first clothes with visible zippers. The New Yorker’s Paris correspondent at the time said, “A dress from Schiaparelli ranks like a modern canvas” ,  having effectively turned her fashion creations into art.   Have a look at this bug necklace , it’s quite amazing when you consider it was made, and worn, in 1938 as part of her Pagan Collection inspired by Botticelli’s lush paintings.    

Schiaparellicollaborated with many artists of the day, such as Salvador Dali, believing that fashion and art share the same goals – to enrich and deepen an understanding of the world that surrounds us.   In fact Coco Chanel, Schiaparelli’s greatest rival, referred to her as “The Italian artist who makes clothes.” 

Here is an excerpt from a  Vogue article about her early life:  “Berated by her mother for her homely looks, she grew up thinking of whimsical ways to beautify herself. Her astronomer uncle tried to allay her concerns about a cluster of moles on her cheek by noting their resemblance to the Big Dipper; years later, she recreated the constellation on the chairs in her salon, in embroideries, and on a cherished brooch. Schiap once took flower seeds and sowed them in her ears, mouth, and nose, in the hopes that she would blossom into a beauty. “To have a face covered with flowers like a heavenly garden would indeed be a wonderful thing!”

Some links for further reading. Her Biography.   The Met Museum Collection.  A Vogue Biography

And so, inspired by the great artist/designer that is Schiaparelli, I’m working on this series of Milos Mini-Bags.

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