Elsa Schiaparelli’s name is synonymous with surrealism and her designs from the 1930s still command attention from the style and fashion world all over.
The Rome born style icon was an influential figure in the world of 20th-century fashion design and the surreal designs created by her is a treasure which will always be looked upon by artists in the field.
A glimpse of her highly stylised design can be seen at the Victoria & Albert Museum’s new Surreal Things exhibition. Dresses made from fabric printed with lobsters, a lamb chop hat, and gold buttons shaped like snails are only a fraction of her art which is at display at the museum.
Schiaparelli’s long race to fame started when she moved to New York with the intention of becoming a sript writer, but soon became an icon with her couture and jewellery creations. she opened Schiaparelli Pour le Sport in Paris in 1928 and went on to stun the world with her unique creations.
She became famous for her flamboyant costume jewellery designs when She set up one of the first ‘ready to wear’ shops in New York in 1949. In 1954 she sold out her Paris business and started designing costume jewellery in New York for DeRosa, using large stones in floral and animal designs.
Schiaparelli’s 1936 Shocking Pink collection, which introduced her signature colour into jewellery, clothes and cosmetics, stirred outrage and applause from critics and is still termed as her best collection.
The hard to find designs from the 1930s still command a handsome price and a set of earrings, necklace and bracelet using large, boldly coloured pastes can fetch not less than £1,000.
