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Elsa Schiaparelli
Fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli (1890 – 1973) was a provocateur who took pleasure in challenging typical notions of dress. Witty, elegant and often strikingly surreal, her designs incorporate humour and surprise, inviting the viewer to look and look again.
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Schiaparelli worked within the confines of traditional tailoring but played with subversive details, extraordinary materials and the imagery of Surrealism to create unique fashion statements. Our collection includes one of her earliest designs, a black jumper knitted with a white bow, alongside her most powerfully Surrealist works, designed in collaboration with the artists Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau.
Collection highlights
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Choker, The Pagan Collection, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938, Paris, France. -
The Tears Dress, evening ensemble of dress and veil, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali, 1938, Paris, France. -
Circus, evening jacket, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, February 1938, Paris, France. -
Hat,The Pagan Collection, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938, Paris, France. -
Pair of evening gloves, The Circus Collection, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938, Paris, France. -
Shoe Hat, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1937 – 38, France. -
(Detail) Evening coat, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli and Jean Cocteau, 1937, London, England. -
Cravat, jumper, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1927, France. -
(Detail) Evening ensemble, The Circus Collection, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938, Paris, France. -
Hat, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, about 1955, France. -
The Skeleton Dress, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí, 1938, Paris, France.
Features
Introducing Elsa Schiaparelli
Shocking, subversive, surreal – meet Elsa Schiaparelli
Surrealism and design
Originally a radical art movement, in the 1930s Surrealism transformed the design world
'Shocking Life' by Elsa Schiaparelli
Discover the making of Schiaparelli's very first design – a simple sweater with a surreal twist
Fashion unpicked: the Skeleton dress by Elsa Schiaparelli
Get closer to Schiaparelli's famously surreal evening dress, designed with Salvador Dali
Header image: Hat,The Pagan Collection, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938, Paris, France.