Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art

ISBN: 1838510613

Condition: New

This lavishly illustrated book explores the origins and legacy of one of fashions greatest innovatorsElsa Schiaparelli was more than a dressmaker; she was an image maker. -Daniel RoseberryElsa Schiaparelli sent shockwaves through the fashion establishment with her witty, ingenious, and artful designs. Lauded by Cristbal Balenciaga as the only real artist in couture, she infused her collections with Surrealism and collaborated on pieces with contemporaries from the art world including Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dal, and Alberto Giacometti.Her garments still look fresh today and, though provocative at the time, were eminently wearable, attracting many society and celebrity clients.She caused a stir at Wimbledon by sending Lil lvarez to the 1931 tennis tournament in culottes; she clothed Amy Johnson for her first solo flight to Cape Town; her lobster dress made it into Wallis Simpsons trousseau, and she counted as fans Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, and Josephine Baker.Her designs appeared on the stage in productions by Ivor Novello, Nel Coward, and Jean-Paul Sartre, and she costumed over 30 films. Today, Schiaparellis visual vocabulary runs through Daniel Roseberrys designs for Maison Schiaparelli like a shocking pink thread.Richly illustrated throughout, the book traces Schiaparellis enduring influence on fashion and visual culture, from the interwar years to the present day.