Schiaparelli Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2018-19

A woman’s style is born of the spirit of her personality. In the case of Elsa Schiaparelli, crystallizing it reveals a femininity of cosmopolitan refinement. This eclectic mix of Mediterranean origins, London and New York experience, Parisian soul, whimsical humor, passion for dogs and love of art and trinkets encapsulates a liberated attitude. The collection transcends a clean-cut wardrobe where elegant sobriety by day gives way to a sensuality that combines opulence and fantasy by night.

Impression jour – Essentially black and obsessively enhanced with the same symbols of butterflies, Ursa Major and padlocks, the silhouette is graphic. This architectural asceticism doesn’t spare bursts of sunlight or touches of wild bestiary. The cut of the jackets creates an outline with a strong bust, small shoulders, slender sleeves and 3D maxi-pockets. This praise of the body, sublimated by contrasting embroidery, precious buttons and gold jewels, is Schiaparelli’s signature style.

Evening Impression – Resolutely colorful and unmistakably sumptuous, these gowns anchor a taste for bold, unexpected combinations. Exaggerated femininity magnifies curves and skin. The line remains pure. Draping is almost liquid. Craftsmanship fuses rock crystal, hard stone, leopard, deer, birds, dogs and flower petals. This subtle interplay of mineral, vegetable and animal elements sketches a fantastical echo of Elsa Schiaparelli ‘s curiosity-cabinet interior and her taste for motley flora and fauna.

The virtuosity of the tailoring and flou ateliers is touched by the grace of virginal cock feathers, multicolored nylon neo-fur, zebra jacquard, ethereal lace and incandescent embroidery. The vertigo of shocking pink andamethyst indigo, the depth of black and the sparkle of metal define Schiaparelli ‘s unique color relationship, where light always plays with shadow.