Sciaparalien: An Otherworldly, celestial Odyssey.
Review of Schiaparelli Spring 2024 Couture Fashion Show
By Lizzy Bowring
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
Haute Couture, the pinnacle of fashion’s artistry, is portrayed by exquisite craftsmanship, exclusivity, and bespoke creativity. It’s in this realm of unparalleled beauty and intricacy that Schiaparelli, under the creative vision of Daniel Roseberry, inaugurated the couture week with a collection that redefines elegance. Once again, the presentation unfurled beneath the divine ceilings of the Petit Palais Paris, and not without a mood of intense anticipation from the audience – celebrities and fashion enthusiasts gathered to witness the unveiling of this “stellaralien” collection – Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya were among those who came to pay homage. And to add a note of observation, there was not a color to be seen except for the occasional off-white or the omnipresent Schiaparelli Black and of course, the de rigor gold accessories. (Next year, it will be rhinestones and silver!)
In a realm where avant-garde meets legacy and the celestial intertwines with the terrestrial, today’s Schiaparelli’s Spring/Summer 2024 Collection is a tribute to Elsa’s passion for the astrological and family’s fascination with the surface of Mars. Yet it was also provocative; teasing and tantalizing with a blend of Roseberry’s personal history of Texas origins, contrasting and harmonizing, blending traditional haute couture craftsmanship with futuristic design elements. The intricate use of over-embroidered guipure laces and hand-cut chenille fringe intertwined with modern motifs like motherboard patterns and microchip embellishments. From the first look of the Elsa Schiaparelli dress in shiny black vinyl worn with black leather cowboy-inspired mules, signature ‘S’ heels, and a metal toe cap, the ‘robot’ dress, (as the show notes describe), that was entirely embroidered with Swarovski crystals and electronic chips in silver and green upcycled pieces of pre-2007 technology – as if all the components had fallen to earth from the solar system, and set as sparkling embellishments, to the black shiny jacket with exaggerated round shoulders covered with cowboy-inspired silver plated buckles and again pared with Roseberry’s cowboy boots. But those ethereal silhouettes gave an entirely new meaning to the celestial body. Schiaparelli’s otherworldly cosmic fantasy transforms the female form into celestial entities reminiscent of stars scattered across the universe. Materials came embroidered with silver sequins, crystals, rhinestones and tassels – ethereally cocooning and hugging the body. The sparkling textures, the deftly crafted asymmetrical collars and slit back details were perfection in creation.
THE BUZZWORDS
Celestial, Texan origins, Otherworldy Craftsmanship, Astrology, Vintage Technology
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look # 32
It was difficult to select a stand-out piece since each silhouette was as unique as the one that went before. Yet the finale dress encapsulated the collection – as the show notes described – an asymmetrical dress, extended collar, and vertiginous neckline slit at the back was entirely covered in silver sequins, crystals, and rhinestones. Yet, here is the twist: this sylph-like silhouette that vibrated with sparkling adornment came paired with black leather cowboy-inspired mules and signature “S” heels – the Roseberry touch.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
So it makes sense that space has always been an informal code of the Maison. Elsa was famously preoccupied with astrology. Looking to the stars was clearly a family pastime. This collection is an homage to that obsession, as well as a study in contradictions, of legacy and the avant grade, of the beautiful and the provocative, of the earthbound and the heaven, sent.
– Daniel Roseberry
THE WRAP UP
Daniel Roseberry’s latest haute couture collection for Schiaparelli is a journey into the cosmos, echoing Elsa Schiaparelli’s astrological curiosities. The presentation intertwined the Maison’s legacy with the avant-garde, creating a narrative from earthly elegance to celestial wonder. Motherboard patterns and microchip embellishments were unexpected yet mesmerizing, and the astrological embellished “teddy Bear” will be the new must-have cozy – albeit not so soft and cuddly! But it is the tongue in cheek, the sheer penultimate in craftsmanship, that sets Roseberry and Schiaparelli in the “Couture Heaven.” Roseberry’s Texan iconography that infused the collection, from the cowboy boot preconceived as a thigh-high fantasy, embellished with oversized buckles to the horse braid dressage knots redone as satin silk spikes on a suede bomber jacket provides the same inordinate wizardry as Elsa’s Lobster. It pays homage to Elsa’s vision while marking a new era for Schiaparelli. Each piece crafting a story of innovation and wonder, embodying the brand’s ethos and redefining the boundaries of haute couture in an otherworldly sparkling dimension.
And just as the architect Charles Girault for the Petit Palais achieved a successful blend of traditional and modern architecture with its decorative murals and sculptures to lend grandeur and dignity, celebrating both art and history, Daniel Roseberry today achieved as much the same glory for the Maison of Schiaparelli, redefining Couture once again in the celestial heavens.
