Full Description
'Elsa Schiaparelli was more than a dressmaker; she was an image maker.' - Daniel Roseberry
Elsa Schiaparelli sent shockwaves through the fashion establishment with her witty, ingenious and artful designs. Lauded by Cristóbal Balenciaga as the 'only real artist in couture' she infused her collections with Surrealism, and collaborated on pieces with contemporaries from the art world, including Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí and Alberto Giacometti.
Her garments still look fresh today and, though provocative at the time, were eminently wearable, attracting many society and celebrity clients. She caused a stir at Wimbledon by sending Lilí Álvarez to the 1931 tennis tournament in culottes; she clothed Amy Johnson for her first solo flight to Cape Town; her lobster dress made it into Wallis Simpson's trousseau, and she counted as fans Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich and Josephine Baker. Her designs appeared on the stage in productions by Ivor Novello, Nöel Coward and Jean-Paul Sartre, and she costumed over 30 films.
Today, Elsa's visual vocabulary runs through Daniel Roseberry's designs for Maison Schiaparelli like a shocking pink thread. This lavishly illustrated book explores the origins and legacy of one of fashion's greatest innovators.
Contents
Preface
Introduction - Sonnet Stanfill
Design: The Collections - Sonnet Stanfill
Schiaparelli and Art - Rosalind McKever
Fashion Photography - Susanna Brown
Stage and Screen - Simon Sladen
Selling Schiaparelli in America - Dilys Blum
Schiaparelli London - Sonnet Stanfill
Schiaparelli's Clients - Introduction by Lidia Caston
Schiaparelli Today: The Codes of the House - Lydia Caston
