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.
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.
Features
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Surrealism and design
Originally a radical art movement, in the 1930s Surrealism transformed the design world
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'Shocking Life' by Elsa Schiaparelli
Discover the making of Schiaparelli's very first design – a simple sweater with a surreal twist
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Fashion unpicked: the Skeleton dress by Elsa Schiaparelli
Get closer to Schiaparelli's famously surreal evening dress, designed with Salvador Dali
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Elsa Schiaparelli: key moments that shaped the iconic surrealist fashion pioneerSpanning 1890 to 2027, this timeline charts the key moments in the life of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli
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Unboxing Elsa Schiaparelli's surrealist jewellery, perfume bottles, buttons and accessoriesStep into the surreal world of Elsa Schiaparelli in this unboxing of whimsical haute couture buttons, jewellery, accessories and perfume bottles
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Deceiving the eye: Elsa Schiaparelli and trompe l’œilWhat is trompe l’œil? Why did it become a source of inspiration for Schiaparelli? And how has it become synonymous with her legacy?
Exhibition
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
More info
Collection highlights
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Choker, The Pagan Collection, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938, Paris, France.V&A South Kensington -
The Tears Dress, evening ensemble of dress and veil, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali, 1938, Paris, France.V&A South Kensington -
Circus, evening jacket, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, February 1938, Paris, France.V&A South Kensington -
Hat,The Pagan Collection, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938, Paris, France.V&A South Kensington -
Pair of evening gloves, The Circus Collection, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938, Paris, France.V&A South Kensington -
Shoe Hat, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1937 – 38, France.V&A South Kensington -
(Detail) Evening coat, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli and Jean Cocteau, 1937, London, England.V&A South Kensington -
Cravat, jumper, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1927, France.V&A South Kensington -
(Detail) Evening ensemble, The Circus Collection, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938, Paris, France.V&A South Kensington -
Hat, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, about 1955, France.V&A South Kensington -
The Skeleton Dress, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí, 1938, Paris, France.V&A South Kensington
V&A Shop
Header image:
Hat,The Pagan Collection, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938, Paris, France.