Shocking

Couturiere Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973) was a key figure in Paris fashion between the two World Wars. Following in the footsteps of her mentor Paul Poiret, she designed her first knitwear collection in January 1927. Decorated with black and white Trompe-Loeil motifs, her sweaters were an immediate success in both France and the United States. In 1935, the Maison Schiaparelli opened on the Place Vendome in Paris, selling collections designed for sport, city and evening wear. Like her arch-rival Gabrielle Chanel, Schiaparelli also worked closely with artists including Man Ray, Jean Cocteau and Salvador Dali, with whom she created a lobster dress. Taking her cue from Surrealism, her creations were hugely imaginative and used innovative new materials. The Schiaparelli style continued to develop throughout the 1930s. Her most famous collections had themes including the circus (summer 1938) and astrology (winter 1938–39). In 1937, Schiaparelli launched the Shocking fragrance, named after the shocking rose that had become her signature color. Along with vintage photographs, sketches, and contemporary features from Harpers Bazaar and Vogue, this volume presents specially photographed masterpieces from the collection of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. All 120 garments and accessories from the Schiaparelli Archive are illustrated, along with a selection of her drawings dating from 1933 to 1953.