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.
Price Upon Request
Schiaparelli Haute Couture Retro Tank Ruby Necklace
By Schiaparelli
Located in New York, NY
Schiaparelli Haute Couture Retro style necklace from the early 1940s with arc shaped gilt chevrons with ruby glass cabochon centers. These s...
Craig Drake Diamond Yellow Gold Necklace
By Craig Drake
Located in Dallas, TX
Diamonds (5.75 ctw. H-VS) 18K yellow gold 204.5 Grams 16" Diamond weight is approximate
Diamond, 18k Gold
Van Cleef & Arpels 30cts Diamond Ceylon Sapphire Necklace in 18 Karat Gold
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Dallas, TX
Van Cleef & Arpels dazzling collar necklace bursting with brilliance of approximately 19 carats of finest white diamonds which are complemented by 11 carats of vividly-colored blue and yellow Ceylon sapphires (GIA and AGL certified as Ceylon/Sri Lanka geographic origin), all meticulously set in 18 karat yellow gold. The necklace is designed as a seamless series of thirty-two gold panels, each with a gracefully scalloped outer edge and pavé-set with brilliant-cut round diamonds. Each of the seven center-front panels is embellished by a large pear-shaped sapphire of richly saturated hue, alternating between yellow and blue colored sapphires. The panels gently curve from their inner to outer edge, giving maximum exposure to impeccably set diamonds and resulting in exceptional overall necklace brilliance. The sapphires add just the right amount of gem opulence and intrigue to this elegant design. Van Cleef expertly uses each necklace element – its scalloped silhouette, curved panels, and sparkling pavéd diamond surface – to create an appearance of a luminous and dressy lace collar. True to its luxurious French heritage...
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, White Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Go...
Aquamarine Gold Plated Sterling Silver Necklace
Located in Oslo, 03
This single strand aquamarine necklace is 15.5 inches long with an additional 3 inch of extension chain and it has a hook clasp. The cabochon aquamarine are of varying shapes and siz...
Aquamarine, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver
Robert Lee Morris Vintage Gilded Mask Necklace
By Robert Lee Morris
Located in New York, NY
This one of a kind gold plated brass piece was never sold as part of the wholesale collection of Robert Lee Morris. It instead was carved and created by him in 1983 when he was experimenting with so many new ideas. The fascinating mask carving could be both an exaggerated bird scull or part of a jet propulsion engine, the design is modern and futuristic. This is part of the large group called Casual Gold, quirky, unique experimental pieces during Morris's growing years. There is a large body of jewelry created by Robert Lee Morris called Casual Gold. They are made by rearranging the many RLM vocabulary components into new and interesting configurations. All necklaces...
Gold Plate, Brass
$37,050 / item
W 0.6 in L 16.34 in
Annamaria Cammilli "Dune" Link Necklace with Diamonds in 18 Karat Orange Gold
By Annamaria Cammilli
Located in SOLVANG, CA
From Annamaria Cammilli's Essential collection, Dune collar necklace handcrafted in 18 karat Apricot Orange gold. Twenty four brilliant white diamonds at 1.29 carat total weight. Thi...
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra Burnt Onyx 20 Motif Necklace 18K White Gold
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Miami, FL
Mightychic offers this Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra 20-Motif Necklace in rare Burnt Onyx is an extraordinary expression of heritage elegance and collector rarity. Highly sough...
18k Gold, White Gold
18 Karat Gold Minoan-Inspired Basket Necklace
By Romae Jewelry
Located in New York, NY
18 Karat Yellow Gold Minoan-Inspired Basket Necklace by ROMAE Jewelry. This stunning necklace is inspired by a Minoan gold example from the area of Kno...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
14K Yellow Gold Textured Oval Link Necklace
Located in Bradenton, FL
Mid-20th Century 14K Yellow Gold Oval Link Necklace. Necklace features a continuous series of textured oval links, each intricately finished to catch and reflect light with a subtle ...
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Graduated Tennis Necklace with 3-Prong Round Diamonds. D7.34ct.t.w.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
17" Graduated tennis necklace in 14K white gold with 3-prong set round diamonds. D7.34ct.t.w. (Center - 0.38ct.)
Diamond, 14k Gold
Cartier Diamond Necklace in Two Tone 18K Gold
By Cartier
Located in Dallas, TX
Exceptional Cartier diamond necklace in 18 karat yellow and white gold. The necklace is composed of alternating high-polish yellow and white gold diamond-patterned links. The wider c...
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
$6,475 / item
Moi Lisa Gold and Diamond Necklace
Located in Lawrenceville, GA
Gold(18K) : 1.78g Gold(14K) : 10.22g Uncut Diamonds/Vilandi/Polki : 1.24ct Diamonds : (VS clarity & H-I colour) : (Brilliant cut ) : 0.17ct Worked in a beautiful play of old and new...
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold
18k Gold Australian Boulder Opal and South Sea Pearl Pendant
By Angelina Fine Jewelry
Located in Amsterdam, NH
An exquisite 18k gold pendant with an Australian Boulder Opal and a golden South Sea Pearl. This is a winning combination of two elegant and understated gemstones. The khaki green o...
Opal, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold