Elsa Schiaparelli - Fashion's Most Fantastical Surrealist

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No one could bend the boundaries between fashion and art better than Elsa Schiaparelli. The Italian aristocrat-turned-artist created the House of Schiaparelli in 1927 and first gained recognition for her trompe l’oeil knitwear, including jumpers that made it seem like there were scarves wrapped around the wearer’s neck. She continued to produce inventive and genius creations for the rest of her life, establishing long-term collaborations throughout her career with famous artists including Jean Cocteau, Alberto Giacometti, and Man Ray. In the 1930s, she created the Speakeasy dress, crafted with a built-in hidden pocket for a flask during America’s prohibition, and also collaborated with artist Salvador Dali on a high-heeled hat that made it look like the wearer was balancing a shoe on their head. Her works were so well received that she graced the cover of Time magazine in 1934 and was referred to as one of the arbiters of ultra-modern Haute Couture." The front cover of the magazine carried the strapline ‘Elsa Schiaparelli glorifies the gadget, persecutes the button', as she often uses zips and novelty fasteners in her garments. Never one to adopt anything ordinary, Schiaparelli replaced basic buttons with bijoux buttons that more closely resembled fine jewellery or sculptures. They took the shape of everything and anything, from cauliflowers and candlesticks to gorgons, mermaids, and angels. Schiaparelli has an innate talent to make women feels glamourous but also empowered whilst wearing the most unusual creations. Lobsters were a common motif in her work, influenced by her partnerships with Salvador Dali, and to Schiaparelli lobsters symbolised eroticism and sexual innuendo. In 1937, she created the famous Lobster Dress worn by Wallis Simpson shortly before her controversial marriage to Edward VIII. The white gown had a bright red lobster embellishment which adorned the lower half of the gown, and was a provocative statement of empowerment from a woman who had garnered negative public opinion for her choice of husband. Schiaparelli’s work was frequently shocking in nature, and it was also and in name. She coined the phrase ‘shocking pink’ to refer to the vivid shade of fuchsia she often used in her work, and released her ‘Shocking’ perfume in 1937 to international acclaim. Upon retiring in 1954, she released her autobiography, A Shocking Life. London is about to host the UK's first-ever retrospective of Schiaparelli's work at the V&A from March 28th. If you can, try to take a visit to see some of her most magnificent designs up close!