Designer Bio Assignment

Elsa Schiaparelli

(1890-1973)

 

Who?

·  Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian born fashion designer raised in Rome (Spens, 2004).

·  Attended a strict Roman Catholic school (Spens, 2004).

·  She worked as a scriptwriter and translator and even wrote poetry (Rhodes, 2011).

·  Married a Polish count named William de Wendt and had a daughter in 1919

·  Divorced in 1920 and eventfully moved to Paris

·  Was known as a creative, artistic, and flamboyant designer

Where and When?

·  Schiaparelli was born in 1890 in Rome, Italy

·  Moved to Paris in 1923

·  Although Schiaparelli was born in Italy, she became renown in Paris and would eventually open a boutique and couture house in Paris

·  She met designer Paul Poiret in Paris who introduced Schiaparelli to couture (Rhodes, 2011).

·  She became prominent in the 1920’s till the after the Second World War

·  Moved temporarily to the US during WWII

·  Died in Paris in 1973 (Rhodes, 2011).

What?

·  Her first famous creation was a black sweater with a bow motif

·  Famous for her collaborations with surrealism artists such as Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau

·  Was the first to introduce things such as: the colour Hot Pink, coloured zippers (Rhodes, 2011).

·  Introduced fashion shows with ramps, lights and music (Sanderson, 2008).

·  Brought fashion to the masses by introducing off-the-rack wear (Sanderson, 2008).

·  Designed clothes for famous celebrities such as the Duchess of Windsor and actress Katherine Hepburn (Sanderson, 2008).

·  After the closing of her couture house in 1954, Schiaparelli retired as a designer and produced perfumes until her death in 1973

 

How?

·  Schiaparelli had always been artistic and used fashion as her medium

·  Began designing gowns in 1915 with help from Paul Poiret (Rhodes, 2011).

·  Never learned to sew, but hired seamstresses and couturiers to interpret her designs (Spens, 2004).

·  After her success, Schiaparelli was able to open her own shop in Paris in 1927 (Rhodes, 2011).

·  Collaborated with artists and produced their work on her designs such as the Lobster Dress with Salvador Dali

·  Worked with fabrics houses to produce unusual prints and materials (Rhodes, 2011).

Why?

·  Schiaparelli once quoted: “Poverty forced me to work, and Paris gave me a liking for it.” (Sanderson, 2008).

·  Being artistic, creative and outrageous, Schiaparelli may have used fashion as an outlet to express her creativity

·  She was not only interested in fashion, but in art as well. She never learned to sew (Spens, 2004).

·  Her designs were always either shocking or entertaining to the public (Rhodes, 2011).

·  After the Depression, Schiaparelli felt that fashion needed more excitement (Rhodes, 2011).

·  Schiaparelli believed that women should dare to be different (Rhodes, 2011).

·  Raised in a high ranking family, her creativity was influenced by rebelling against her strict upbringing (Rhodes, 2011).

·  She tried to empower women through their clothing and believed they can gain independence and equality (Rhodes, 2011).

·  Being a single mother struggling financially in the beginning, Schiaparelli may be trying to empower women through her designs