😉 Hello dear readers! The article “Elsa Schiaparelli: Biography of a Parisian Fashion Designer” – about the life of the famous designer, the author of the concept “ready-to-wear”. Overhead shoulders, zip fastening, stiff fabrics and oversized fit are all in vogue thanks to Schiaparelli.
Designer Elsa Schiaparelli
The future founder of modern fashion was born in the Roman palazzo Corsini. Often they write about the Russian classics: “I was born into a family of intellectuals.” The same can be said about Signorina Schiaparelli. Father and cousin are historians, uncle is an astronomer. The newborn was baptized in the citadel of the entire Catholic world – St. Peter’s Cathedral.
Neither the rich background, nor the opportunities that it gave, did not make little Elsa an obedient girl. She was distinguished by the presence of a bunch of lovely gifts like the ability to play music, draw, dance. Something that would eventually turn her into the spouse of a man from high society and a socialite.
No, the craving for the arts was not alien to young Elsa. She rarely gave herself the will to restrain her hot temper, which cost her exclusion from two schools, a hasty escape to England from the Russian prince, who offered her a hand and heart, and the same marriage.
This marriage was not a success. The husband appreciated not the bright nature of his wife, but her dowry. Therefore, when Elsa ran out of money, he left her. Soon Schiaparelli moved to Paris with her little daughter.
The beginning of the creative path
This city has become a truly real haven for the living and warm soul of Elsa Schiaparelli. It was there, as she believed, that talented people can truly be appreciated, surrounded by attention and honor. And she was right.
Paris of the 20s of the last century gathered under its sky many geniuses, whose achievements have become the foundation of modern culture. These are Jean Cocteau, Sergei Diaghilev, Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, Nina Ricci.
Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973)
Elsa’s reign in the fashionable sky of Paris was still far away. She found herself alone in a strange city with a child in her arms. Madame Schiaparelli directed her irrepressible Italian energy to find an idea that could save her from poverty.
And such was found! An emigrant from Armenia lived next to Elsa’s house, who earned her living by knitting. It was she who became the first companion of Schiaparelli. Knitted dresses and jumpers created by their hands have won the love of almost all Parisian fashionistas.
Subsequently, she created one of the first collections of sportswear. This gave her the opportunity to open her fashion house on the famous Rue de la Paix. This house and the popularity gained among fashionistas have created unlimited opportunities for Elsa to unleash her creative potential.
She was the first to allow herself to combine incongruous things in one outfit. Rough sweaters and elegant skirts, dresses decorated with buttons with non-standard images, fancy hats.
Schiaparelli Style
Subsequently, Schiaparelli’s style influenced the work of other fashion geniuses: Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Elsa gave the world many innovations, without which it is impossible to imagine clothes today. She used rubberized materials and plastic, asymmetry, skirt-trousers.
It was she who preferred to use in clothes not the usual hooks and buttons, but a new invention – a zipper. Elsa Schiaparelli was the first to call her stores boutiques. They offered their visitors ready-made collections (also called Elsa), which were created in batches for each season.
With this, she laid the foundations for ready-to-wear. In addition, she was the first to turn her shows into vibrant, festive shows. A long-term contract with Hollywood allowed her to create costumes for films with the participation of Marlene Dietrich, Gloria Swenson, Mae West.
Elsa died in her sleep at the age of 83. She outlived her eternal rival Coco Chanel by two years. The great fashion designer donated her collections of clothes to the Paris Museum of Fashion and Textile and the Museum of Philadelphia.
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