WHAT? Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art

WHERE? The V&A South Kensington, London SW7 2RL

WHEN? Now until 8th November

WHY GO? For a surreal experience. Elsa Schiaparelli will always be associated with shocking pink though no one can accurately identify exactly why.
Was it because she admired a friend’s pink diamond ring or a painting of strawberries in Gertrude Stein's Paris apartment?
Either way pink will always be her colour and ‘Shocking’ is the name of her iconic perfume. She was even buried in pink when she died in 1973.
This first UK Schiaparelli blockbuster presents her equally as a fashion designer, artist and image maker. It delves into every aspect of her life from the trompe-l’oeil sweaters that launched her career in 1927 to the Surrealist reputation she later acquired through associations with the likes of Dali and Cocteau.
Schiap, as she was known, collaborated with all the leading Surrealists and thus the Lobster dress, Shoe Hat and Tears dress evolved.
Above all she was a meticulous couturier of sharp fitted suits of which there are dozens to admire, all with quirky embellishments.
Discovering who wore what when is half the fun, and with over 100 garments and 50 works of art to explore, more is more, endorses her eccentric spirit.
Today, design director, Daniel Roseberry is reviving the buzz for Schiaparelli on the celeb scene and his creations are liberally featured throughout.
Remember the ginormous lung breastplate worn by Bella Hadid at Cannes and Kylie Jenner in that fake lion head dress in 2023?
Both would surely have amused Schiap herself, as would this fabulous blockbuster.

IN THE KNOW Schiaparelli’s perfumes were as famous for their surreal bottles as for the fragrance itself. Archive originals highlight her collaborative artistry with names like Dali and Baccarat.
Want to know more? Shocking Life: The Autobiography of Elsa Schiaparelli is an intimate account of this unconventional Italian who was in with the ‘in’ crowd and became one of the most avant garde designers in Paris.