“She slapped Paris. She beat it. She tortured it. And the City has fallen crazy in love with her.” Those were Yves Saint Laurent’s words used to describe Elsa Schiaparelli, the italienne who seduced the French capital city starting from the 20s’ of last century. A dreamer, an untamed creative talent, since ever original, the designer built her fame with unique clothing, true artworks which amazed the women of the time. And the same happens today: last Spring Summer 2021 collection, presented digitally by Maison Schiaparelli, brought in the spotlight a concept of elegance to be considered as unexpected, new, unique in its kind, but at the same time, exuberant as always. And here is where the skills of creative director Daniel Roseberry are evident: he managed to interpret with success the Zeitgeist, that is the spirit of present time, without forgetting its own origins.

The eccentricity of the collection derives mostly from details. The latter are the ultimate protagonists: in view of rather essential clothing with soft lines, in which the iconic shocking pink and the traditional lively palette are replaced by nude and neutral shades, golden nail rings as well as exaggerated necklaces, covering toe rings, large gold locks and maxi-pendants depicting scorpions and elephants definitely stand out. Since ever, Schiaparelli has paid great attention to accessories and jewels that were conceived with creativity so as to confer a distinctive character to her garments. Suffice it to recall the brooch she created that traced the shape of the moles on her cheek, which all together resembled Ursa Major constellation. And this brings us back to today’s dimension of dream and fantasy. How not to be mesmerized by the polished bronze eyes and the bizarre nose-shaped earrings? The anatomical features of the face recur also on the handbags. Here lies her brilliant irony. Moreover, there is no shortage of erotic references to which Schiaparelli got us used to in the past: golden buttons tracing the shape of female nipples, one of which has a piercing. Breasts are printed also on shirts. Worthy of note is also the golden mask that covers both nose and mouth, perhaps symbolising caustically and ironically our current times. After all, “in times of crisis, fashion is always outrageous”, stated Schiaparelli herself.

And this is how today Daniel Roseberry celebrates the Maison’s DNA, by mixing extravagance and practicality. The prints depicting female figures, with sinuous and imaginative shapes, are a tribute to Elsa’s famous collaborations with surrealist artists, including Salvador Dalì. The entire collection, actually, guides the spectator to a dimension halfway between consciousness and imagination, between abstract and concrete, between normality and scandal, in a hypnotic-like state typical of surrealist art. Reality appears redesigned, together with garments and accessories, in a new world of liveliness, euphoria and whimsy.

“Madame Elsa was incomparable. It is not possible to find somebody who is equivalent to her. Her imagination had no chains. She was the only one that could have the audacity to marry in black. In veils of tulle and ostrich feathers, an impressive catafalque, she would walk down the aisle with big steps, by showing the duenna gown to finally reveal her legs, fishnet-wrapped like a casino dancer.” It seems to be hearing Yves Saint Laurent’s words. Schiaparelli gave birth to an amazing fashion, to be worn on any occasion, since dreams have no restrictions. “When she died, Chic closed her eyes” added and wrote the French designer. Elsa however, still lives: her signature is stronger and more eloquent than ever in fashion. This gives, in such historical period, new hope and lifeblood to a sector in difficulty.

Find all the creations of the Spring Summer 2021 collection here!

References:

White, P. (1995). Elsa Schiaparelli: Empress of Paris fashion. With a foreword by Yves Saint Laurent. White Lion Publishing.