Elsa Schiaparelli's Surreal Miniature Hatbox of Playing Cards
View Similar Items
Elsa Schiaparelli's Surreal Miniature Hatbox of Playing Cards
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:United States
- Period:1950-1959
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Playing cards are unused.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU46321342
Elsa Schiaparelli
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.
- Gem Encrusted Box, 19th CenturyLocated in New York, NYBeautiful box from the late 19th Century completely covered with colorful genuine gems and semiprecious stones. Garnets, aquamarines, sapphires and amythests are just some of the sto...Category
Late 19th Century Hungarian Victorian Accessories
- Christian Dior Logo PochetteBy Christian DiorLocated in New York, NYChristian Dior Logo Brown Pochette edged and lined in brown calf leather. Practical size carryall for phone or wallet. One side has a extension ple...Category
1970s French Other
- Chinese Shagreen Eyeglass HolderLocated in New York, NYShagreen (sharkskin) eyeglass holder with carnelian glass beads and silk tassel. Holder sides open for entry and closes when handle is used. Holder onl...Category
1930s Chinese Decorative Objects
- Victorian Paste Set CombLocated in New York, NYVictorian comb in silver metal with elaborate etched design. Late 19th Century set with 4 large cushion cut pastes and a center cluster of round pastes....Category
Late 19th Century French Victorian Other
- Armorial Themed Victorian Mirror, Cabinet NoveltyLocated in New York, NYSuper charming miniature mirror in a shield form with jeweled garnet and turquoise glass accents from the late 19th Century. Sword and Axe motifs form the cross legs with ominous spiked ball weaponry dangling from each side. A knight's helmet caps the top of the shield. Unusual and charming curiosity. 19th Century USA...Category
1880s American Curiosities
- Art Deco French Celluloid NecessaireLocated in New York, NYArt Deco French celluloid necessaire, painted black with a flapper in a Robe de Style gown holding a Poiretesque rose, The interior containing a glass s...Category
1920s French Decorative Objects
- Saint-Louis Chess Game Jeu Flannel-Grey / Clear Crystal and Wood New w/BoxBy HermèsLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers a Limited edition Saint-Louis Chess Game featured in Jeu Flannel-Grey and Wood. Each chess piece is beautifully inspired by Saint-Louis' classic decanter stoppers. The chess game...Category
2010s French Games
- Limited Edition Chanel BasketballBy ChanelLocated in London, GBAs seen on Kylie Jenner, this unique Basketball was crafted in 2004 from charcoal black synthetic rubber. Showcasing the brand's iconic interlocking 'CC' logo with contrasting off-wh...Category
Early 2000s Games
- Ping Pong Set James Monogram Eclipse CanvasBy Louis VuittonLocated in London, GBUphold the rules of the game with this sophisticated Ping Pong Set from the James Monogram Eclipse Collection. This portable set includes two professiona...Category
2010s Games
- Chanel Limited Edition Chess SetBy ChanelLocated in Palm Beach, FLThis authentic Chanel Limited Edition Chess Set is in pristine condition. A must have for any collection. Black and white lacquered chess boar...Category
2010s Games
- Chanel Black And White Rugby BallBy ChanelLocated in Paris, FRRare. Only a few balls were published for the Rugby World Cup in France in 2007. There have only been around 50 distributed worldwide. In very good condi...Category
Early 2000s French Games
- Chanel Black Tennis Racket With Leather X Chain CC Cover NEWBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYChanel black tennis racket with leather CC cover Cover has chains in the back to carry the racket ,it has 2 snap closure on the side to slide and hold racket in.Huge box, dust-bag ,...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Games
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
You Saw It at the Met Ball. Here’s What Camp Fashion Is Really About
This year's Costume Institute exhibition is all about embracing the eccentric.
The Met’s Latest Blockbuster Tells a Powerful Story through 230 Jewels
A captivating show at the Manhattan museum explores how jewelry has ornamented the body through the millennia — and redefines it as high art.