Surrealism in Fashion:Surrealism in Fashion:The Avant-garde Designs ofThe Avant-garde Designs of

Elsa SchiaparelliElsa Schiaparelli

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Elsa Schiaparelli: Elsa Schiaparelli: 1890- 1973. 1890- 1973. an important an important avant-garde avant-garde fashion designer fashion designer worked in Paris worked in Paris in the 1920s & 30s.in the 1920s & 30s.

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Schiaparelli & Chanel Schiaparelli & Chanel worked during the same worked during the same period. Both started out period. Both started out designing sweatersdesigning sweaters— but this is — but this is where the where the similarities end.similarities end.

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Schiaparelli was a surrealist artist that Schiaparelli was a surrealist artist that used fashion as her medium. used fashion as her medium.

She arranged realistic She arranged realistic images in a images in a nonsensical way in nonsensical way in her hat forms and her hat forms and

garment decorationsgarment decorations..

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Elsa Schiaparelli broke down the walls Elsa Schiaparelli broke down the walls dividing art and fashion.dividing art and fashion.

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The Skeleton DressElsa SchiaparelliFrance, 1938Silk crepe

She considered designing an art rather She considered designing an art rather than a profession. than a profession.

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Her first breakthroughHer first breakthrough design: design: the the tromp l'oeil tromp l'oeil sweater.sweater.

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This was the first in a long list: http://www.schiaparelli.com/en

She is also said to have invented: the "wedgie“ heel, shoulder pads, animal print fabrics.

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Surrealist artist Salvadore Dali had Surrealist artist Salvadore Dali had a huge impact on the work of a huge impact on the work of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1930s.in the 1930s.

Remember him?Remember him?

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She worked with Dali to create designs She worked with Dali to create designs such as:such as:

the lamb-cutlet hat, the lamb-cutlet hat, the brain hat, the brain hat, the shoe hat, the shoe hat, & a suit with pockets& a suit with pockets

that looked like a chest that looked like a chest of drawers. of drawers.

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Schiaparelli's Fall-Winter 1937-38 collection

Lobster Telephone 1936 Téléphone - Homard

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Dali custom-designed this lobster phone for an eccentric collecter. He and Schiaparelli then used the motif on...

... this elegant lobster dress. ... this elegant lobster dress. Schiaparelli wanted to use her designs Schiaparelli wanted to use her designs to make the unconventional to make the unconventional acceptable. acceptable.

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The 1937 Lobster Dress featured a large lobster Dali painted onto the skirt of a simple evening gown.

Her basic garments Her basic garments were simple and were simple and fashionable, but she fashionable, but she used military themes, used military themes, the zodiac, circus the zodiac, circus images, lobsters, etc. images, lobsters, etc. to add unique detail.to add unique detail.

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She used oversized buttons in the She used oversized buttons in the shape of peanuts, bumblebees, and shape of peanuts, bumblebees, and rams' heads — all imagery not rams' heads — all imagery not previously associated with fashion previously associated with fashion garments in the 1930s.garments in the 1930s.

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Left: Dinner Suit, Green silk crepe and green silk velvet embroidered with metallic thread and red and pink rhinestones with half dome shaped plastic buttons inset with flowers

Right: Evening jacket, Deep magenta rayon crepe embroidered with metallic thread and polychrome sequins with plastic insect buttons

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She loved to work in black and white, She loved to work in black and white, but her favourite colour was Shocking but her favourite colour was Shocking Pink — a brilliant pink somewhere Pink — a brilliant pink somewhere between fuchsia and red. It became between fuchsia and red. It became the hallmark of her couture house.the hallmark of her couture house.

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Vintage Schiaparelli hat boxes are still sought after by collectors.

HER LEGACY:HER LEGACY:She was the first to usebrightly coloured zippers.

She made the teeth out of coloured plastic and dyed the tape to match fabric. Zippers became a design detail in her sportswear and later in her evening dresses.

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She was the first to use many She was the first to use many "new" technologies of her "new" technologies of her time: time:

acrylic, acrylic, cellophane, cellophane, metal threads metal threads

she used synthetic materials she used synthetic materials being used for the first time in being used for the first time in couture garments.couture garments.

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Elsa Schiaparelli remains an Elsa Schiaparelli remains an everlasting influence on contemporary everlasting influence on contemporary fashion.fashion.

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Schiaparelli wearing her famous shoe hat.http://www.schiaparelli.com/en/collections_haute_couture_video

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Why do you think her

work still stirs such passion?

Images:Images:

www.vintage-instyle.com/.../black_white_ad.jpgwww.artsjournal.com/tobias/images/LOBSTER.jpgwww.harpersbazaar.com/cm/harpersbazaar/imageswww.metmuseum.org/.../1974.338.2_1978.288www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/13864-large.jpg

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCESADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Baudot, Francois. Fashion: The Twentieth Century. 2006. NY, NY: Universe Publishing, 1999

www.schiaparelli.comshrimptoncouture.blogspot.com/2009/05/elsa-scwww.surrealism.orgwww.fashionencylopedia.comweb sources retrieved July 11, 2010

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Answer the following 2 Answer the following 2 questions in your sketchbook.questions in your sketchbook.

1. Schiaparelli shocked as well as entertained the public with her belief that good taste was less important than creativeness, outrageousness, and fun. Why do you think the fashion conscious people of the 1930s embraced her work so strongly?

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2. Her work is still internationally celebrated on the Internet, in museums and through organizations and conventions.

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