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Elsa Schiaparelli Curiosities

Italian, French, 1890-1973

From her signature color Shocking Pink to her collaborations with Surrealist artists, the boldly original Elsa Schiaparelli transformed fashion with her haute couture house from the late 1920s to the early ’50s. Experimenting with elements like trompe l’oeil images and colorful visible zippers, the Italian designer instilled a provocative avant-garde artistry in her clothing and accessories, including those created with Salvador Dalí, such as the lobster dress and a hat shaped like a shoe.

Born in Rome, Schiaparelli was a rebellious child who grew up among the city’s intellectual elite. She had a voracious appetite for reading and became interested in ancient cultures, astronomy and world religions. Schiaparelli studied philosophy at the University of Rome, and after publishing a collection of poems on love and sensuality that so mortified her conservative parents that they tried, unsuccessfully, to confine her to a Swiss convent, she left for London.

A quick marriage to Count Wilhelm de Wendt de Kerlor brought her to New York, but it would be in Paris following her divorce that Schiaparelli embraced her artistic passions. She moved to the French capital city in 1922 with her young daughter and happened to meet master couturier Paul Poiret, who loaned the stylish Schiaparelli his clothes, sparking her own fashion interests.

Schiaparelli opened her modest atelier in Paris and debuted her first collection of knitwear in 1927, and later that year, she designed a black-and-white pullover hand-knit wool sweater featuring a trompe l’oeil bowknot that captured the attention of the fashion world. Vogue called it “an artistic masterpiece.” The success led to her moving her house to 21 Place Vendôme in 1935 where thousands of garments were produced each year.

Schiaparelli’s knitwear collections were later accompanied by revolutionary swimsuits and other clothing and accessories. Her inventive designs would include culottes — a radical statement in the 1930s when women still could cause a scandal by wearing pants — as well as printed fabric, such as the 1938 Tears dress with a print designed by Dalí making it appear as if the evening gown had been savagely ripped.

Schiaparelli was among the first designers to use materials like rayon and Lurex as well as explore wrap dresses and transparent raincoats. She also introduced unisex fragrances and brought her artistic partnerships into jewelry, such as bronze brooches made with Alberto Giacometti and fur-lined bracelets with Méret Oppenheim. As she wrote in her 1954 autobiography Shocking Life, women should “dare to be different.”

Despite her acclaim, her shop closed in 1954 after a tumultuous time during World War II. By then, fashion had moved on with Christian Dior's New Look, and the closure of Schiaparelli's business coincided with a comeback mounted by Coco Chanel, her archrival in the early days.

In 2006, Italian businessman Diego Della Valle acquired the brand and its archives, and the Maison Schiaparelli was reopened in 2012, back at 21 Place Vendôme where Schiaparelli's fearless and enduring work began.

Find vintage Elsa Schiaparelli hats, evening dresses and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.

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Designer: Elsa Schiaparelli
Rare Surrealist Schiaparelli Figural Cat Lingerie Bag
By Elsa Schiaparelli
Located in New York, NY
Rare and unusual figural Surrealist Elsa Schiaparelli lingerie bag. This amusing, rare Schiaparelli figural cat lingerie bag is made of bright pink acetate, with "Shocking" Pink ribbon accents and long pink raffia fringe. With a white plush snout and hand cut felt eyes eyebrows and mouth. Excellent Condition. Signed, Zipper Entry on back. Length 18" x Wide 9". 1950's. Schiaparelli, "I gave to pink, the nerve of the red, a neon pink, an unreal pink, Shocking Pink". Yves Saint Laurent: Schiaparelli's pink was "an aggressive, brawling, warrior pink” Elsa Schiaparelli's "Shocking" Pink was a color which derived from a 17.27 carat rose colored Cartier diamond known as the Tete de Belier, belonging to her friend and client, Daisy Fellowes. Shocking Pink was used for the eponymous perfume "Shocking", which was launched in 1937. The packaging was designed by artist Leonor Fini and the bottle was based on Mae West's curvaceous figure. Her first shoe-hat, designed for her autumn 1937 collection, had a Shocking Pink heel. Salvador Dali loved...
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1950s French Elsa Schiaparelli Curiosities

Elsa Schiaparelli's "Sleeping de Schiaparelli" Perfume Sachets
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Schiaparelli's Mint in Box, "Sleeping" perfume sachets (3) of "Sleeping Blue" satin, over stitched with Schiaparelli's signature "S". Still fragrant wrapped in the original unopened cellophane, tied with vibrant yellow ribbon. "Sleeping," is one of many perfumes Schiaparelli designed, debuted for her summer 1940 collection. For her spring 1939 Commedia dell' arte collection, Schiaparelli had been inspired by Man Ray's 1939 painting...
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1940s French Elsa Schiaparelli Curiosities

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Elsa Schiaparelli curiosities for sale on 1stDibs.

Find an extraordinary range of authentic Elsa Schiaparelli curiosities available on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing our collection of unique vintage and designer fashion to elevate your daily look or to introduce new colors to the dazzling formal wear in your wardrobe, this designer’s body of work includes elements of green and other tones. Customers who are interested in this designer might also find the work of and Hermès appealing. On 1stDibs, find haute couture, vintage and designer Elsa Schiaparelli curiosities from top boutiques around the world. Elsa Schiaparelli curiosities prices can differ depending upon time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $375 and tops out at $4,250, while the average work can sell for $2,313.
Questions About Elsa Schiaparelli Curiosities
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Italian Elsa Schiaparelli moved to Paris, France and opened a fashion house that would become known the world over for her bold designs. Her haute couture often borrowed from Surrealism, she used overt sexuality and didn’t shy away from bold colors that most designers were not using at the time. Find vintage and contemporary Schiaparelli bags, clothing and accessories from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Elsa Schiaparelli dressed many notable people over the course of her career. In 1931, she created a divided skirt for tennis player Lili de Alvarez to wear for the Wimbledon tournament. She also produced the costumes worn by Zsa Zsa Gabor in the 1952 film Moulin Rouge and by Mae West in the 1937 film Every Day's a Holiday. On 1stDibs, find a range of Elsa Schiaparelli apparel and accessories.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Elsa Schiaparelli is an Italian-born fashion designer who was famous for her surrealist designs, which included outlandish accessories such as a purse shaped like a telephone. You can shop a selection of Elsa Schiapatelli pieces from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.

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