The Bold, Revolutionary, and Timeless Fashion of Elsa Schiaparelli

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Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu recently attended the premiere of the 4^th season of Emily in Paris at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, wearing a black dress by Elsa Schiaparelli. Let’s delve into the secrets of Schiaparelli’s fashion, which defies time.

What sets Elsa Schiaparelli’s fashion apart? Her surrealist vision, revolutionary creativity, and innovative imagination made her an icon of fashion and an extraordinary designer. In the 1920s and 1930s, she became a formidable rival to Coco Chanel, despite their radically different styles. Chanel championed simplicity, while Schiaparelli embraced unrestrained eccentricity. Her experimental approach attracted a loyal clientele eager for innovation, including Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, and Elsa Triolet, who was deeply loved by Aragon. It was with Triolet that she embarked on her first artistic collaboration in 1931, creating the “Aspirin” necklace, composed of porcelain beads resembling medicine tablets. From that moment on, Schiaparelli’s collaborations with artists such as Cocteau, Dalí, and many others multiplied.

Far from sober costumes, Elsa Schiaparelli accentuated the eccentricity of her outfits, enhancing women’s figures with pieces that were not only comfortable but also stylish, artistic, and daring. Her materials were anything but conventional, including plastic, glass, and even lobsters. Her trompe-l’œil techniques, combined with vivid colors, added a touch of madness to her creations, making her an unusual fashion designer. She invented “Shocking Pink,” a unique and vibrant color that became her signature and revolutionized the concept of color in fashion. Simultaneously, her first collaboration with Salvador Dalí resulted in a compact powder case shaped like a rotary phone dial. This marked the beginning of a long partnership between the two creators. Elsa Schiaparelli also launched the perfume Shocking.

The Elsa Schiaparelli brand has carved out a path through time, instilling a valuable heritage into 21st-century creations, giving them a timeless allure. Today, it stands among the great couture houses: from Dior’s antique goddesses to Schiaparelli’s surrealist designs, and Iris Van Herpen’s aquatic creations, which opened Paris Haute Couture Week in the summer of 2023.

Schiaparelli’s designs masterfully combined chic and provocation. Her creations were infused with elegance and boldness, which modern women of the time constantly sought. For today’s women, wearing a Schiaparelli creation means standing out with a distinctive style and embodying a sense of freedom and emancipation, both bold and elegant. Thus, the black dress recently worn by actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu at the premiere of the 4th season of Emily in Paris at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood radiated an adventurous and graceful air, signed Schiaparelli.