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.
Rare Elsa Schiaparelli Documented Surrealist Lady Bug Cuff Bracelet
By Elsa Schiaparelli
Located in New York, NY
Elsa Schiaparelli surrealist lady bug cuff bracelet. Of gilt plate metal the bombayed hinged cuffs inset with red, orange molded pate de verre glass lady bugs...
Gold Plate, Brass, Enamel, Gilt Metal
Barry Kieselstein Cord 2004 Sterling Silver & 14k Gold Frog Flower Cuff Bracelet
Located in Honolulu, HI
Barry Kieselstein Cord Cuff Bracelet in sterling silver and14k yellow gold. The bracelet features a 3-D frog in between 2 3-D flowers with 14k yellow gold petals. Hallmarked "Barry Kieselstein Cord" and stamped "2004," "925," "14K," "Thailand," on the inside. This cuff bangle measures 29 mm wide, 58 mm long and weighs 78.5 grams. This is a pre-owned Barry Kieselstein Cord bracelet...
14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
White Diamond Teeth Cuff Memento Mori Open Bangle Bracelet J Dauphin
By J DAUPHIN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Teeth Cuff Bracelet White Diamond Black Enamel 14k Gold Plated Memento Mori Open Bangle Designer: J DAUPHIN The Teeth Cuff is a rigid open band in 14k gold plated brass, the band f...
White Diamond, 14k Gold, Gold Plate, Brass
Diamond Bracelet Cuff Antique Diamond Setting Prongs Silver Open Bangle
By J DAUPHIN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Diamond Cuff Bracelet Victorian Prong Setting Gold Plated Silver Detail Thin Bangle Designer: J DAUPHIN The Diamond Cuff is a thin rigid open band in gold plated brass with silver ...
Diamond, White Diamond, Silver, Sterling Silver, Gold Plate
Black Diamond Cuff Brutalist Stud Barcelet Blue Enamel Gold Plated J Dauphin
By J DAUPHIN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Black Diamond Cuff Brutalist Stud Bracelet Midnight Blue Enamel 14k Gold Plated Eight Pointed Star Designer: J DAUPHIN The Star Stud Cuff is a rigid open band in 14k gold plated ...
Black Diamond, 14k Gold, Gold Plate, Brass, Enamel
$9,995
W 0.37 in Dm 2.29 in L 3.04 in
GIA Natural Jadeite Jade Pale Green & Brown Hinged Bangle 14K Gold
Located in Honolulu, HI
GIA Natural Jadeite Jade Pale Green & Brown Hinged Bangle 14K Gold. Comes with GIA report #2235035266. A magnificent jade bangle with beautifully engraved hinge and clasp. The Jade has a very pleasant pale green with a brownish patch that creates a gorgeous contrast with the yellow gold hinge & clasp. The jade is translucent and has a beautiful natural look. The 14k yellow gold hinge and clasp are hand-engraved in botanical floral design. The clasp is equipped with a safety chain for added security. The inside diameter of the bangle is 58mm and would fit wrist size up to 53 mm. The bracelet is 9.37mm thick. The total weight is 55.9 grams. This is a vintage pre-owned Jade bangle in very good condition. Please ask any questions before bidding, serious buyers only please. Bracelet Specification: Style: Hinged jade Bangle...
Jade, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
John Hardy Classic Chain Bracelet with Black Sapphire in Sterling Silver
By John Hardy
Located in Honolulu, HI
Item Specifications: Brand: John Hardy Metal: Sterling Silver Metal Purity: AG 925 Bracelet Width: 6.45 mm wide Bracelet Length: 7.5" Gemstone: Black S...
Sapphire, Sterling Silver
Black Enamel Bangle Bracelet Emerald Diamond J Dauphin
By J DAUPHIN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
J Dauphin Emerald Heart Bangle 14k Gold-Plated Black Enamel Size Small/ Medium A sculptural 14k gold-plated brass hinged bangle featuring a central heart-shaped natural emerald pai...
Diamond, Emerald, Gold Plate, Brass, Enamel
John Hardy Bracelet with Black Sapphire in Sterling Silver
By John Hardy
Located in Honolulu, HI
Item Specifications: Brand: John Hardy Metal: Sterling Silver Metal Purity: AG 925 Bracelet Width: 9.27 mm wide Bracelet Circumference: 6.67" Bracelet ...
Sapphire, Sterling Silver
Black Enamel Cuff Bracelet White Diamond 14k Gold Plated Fleur de Lis J Dauphin
By J DAUPHIN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fleur de Lis Cuff Bracelet Black Enamel White Diamond 14k Gold Plated Designer J DAUPHIN The Fleur de Lis Architectural Cuff is a symbolic sculptural piece by J DAUPHIN drawing in...
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold, Gold Plate, Enamel
Emerald Cuff Bracelet Emerald Clover Black Enamel Gold Plated J Dauphin
By J DAUPHIN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Luck Emerald Cuff Bracelet Emerald Clover Black Enamel Gold Plated Silver Designer: J Dauphin The Emerald Clover Bracelet is a structural statement piece handcrafted in 14k gold-pla...
Emerald, Gold Plate, Enamel
Dove Cuff Bracelet Bleeding Heart Ruby Gold Plated Brass Silver
By J DAUPHIN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Natural Ruby Dove Cuff Bracelet Gold Plated Brass and Sterling Silver Designer J DAUPHIN The Billet of Myself Cuff is a symbolic sculptural piece by J DAUPHIN featuring a pair of do...
Ruby, Gold Plate, Silver, Sterling Silver, Brass
Tanzanite Cuff Bracelet Black Enamel Gold Plated Eight Pointed Star
By J DAUPHIN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Brutalist Cuff Gold Plated Black Enamel Studded Cuff Bracelet Seven Tanzanite Eightpointed Star Designer J DAUPHIN Handcrafted as a definitive statement piece, this structural open ...
Tanzanite, 14k Gold, Gold Plate, Enamel
Sold
W 1.75 in D 0.3 in L 7.9 in
A magnificent wide bracelet and matching earrings, Elsa Schiaparelli, USA, 1952.
By Elsa Schiaparelli
Located in Greyabbey, County Down
A very rare and outstanding wide bracelet and large matching earrings in a subtle and unusual colourway. With beautiful large cabuchons in smokey quartz and dark brown, and moulded i...
Base Metal