Elsa Schiaparelli designs, 1934
I've always admired Elsa Schiaparelli's ability to transform the quotidian into the quirky. Looking at her designs in the time of Lady Gaga and the ever-present need to shock and be shocked, they might not seem as off the hook as they once had, but they definitely haven't lost their charm.
Lobster phone: Collaboration with Salvador Dalí, 1937
For those unfamiliar with Schiaparelli, she's best described as the surrealist Coco Chanel. The two were actually rivals in Paris, although the social circles they moved in (and even their work - Chanel was minimalist, Schiaparelli flamboyant) couldn't have been more different.
The first photo found me amidst a stream of thoughts (actually laments) on how it's damn near impossible to look like a stylish individual in cold and soaking weather. In winter I'm usually shooting for outfits similar to the ladies' above (i.e. as much non-robust coats and footwear as possible). Most of the time they don't work in practice because in this city dry winter is a very abstract concept.
Should you want to spice up the dreary winter, however, another Schiaparelli idea comes in handy: ornamented buttons. Underrated much?
December 22, 2010 at 10:46 PM
Love her. I like the influence of the Surrealists, but I wouldn't wear everything she designed. Some of it is too quirky for my taste. But I like it. It's just that I always look at a design in a way: wear not to wear. The designs I love, but wouldn't wear are like art pieces for me. I love looking at it, even on a person standing next to me, but don't see it as a wearable thing. It's like going to the gallery and just looking, and admiring. So I see her first and foremost as an artist and Coco more as a visionary.
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December 23, 2010 at 3:57 PM
To me Schiaparelli is also more about art than wearability, although not exclusively. She's designed some very "normal" and practical (but of course still quirky in her own way) pieces, for example the trompe l'oeil sweaters. Still, if I had one of those, they're such a rarity nowadays that I'd probably wear it only a couple of times. It's like one garment carrying the weight of decades.
December 22, 2010 at 11:32 PM
a propos coco chanel. so what do u think about her controversy, as her being racist and all hat nazi thing et al?
December 23, 2010 at 3:47 PM
I don't have any opinion on that. Most of the info available on the topic is of the "he said, she said" variety and therefore lacks credibility.
December 23, 2010 at 7:06 AM
I adore her work, fucking legendary. puts Gaga & co. to shame, they may crawl back under their rock and never come back.
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December 23, 2010 at 3:45 PM
I think Gaga collaborates with some pretty amazing designers, but "de gustibus ..." etc. :D
December 29, 2010 at 1:06 AM
There was a terrific fashion photography exhibit at the Art Gallery here in Toronto where both Elsa and Coco's work featured prominently. Elsa seems almost opposite of Chanel: the flamboyant artist vs. the realist.
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