Cinematic and Surreal
Review of Schiaparelli Fall 2024 Couture Fashion Show
By Mark Wittmer
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
Whether or not it was a necessity prompted by the impending Olympic Games taking over Paris, the decision to swap Schiaparelli’s usual venue of the monumental Petit Palais for a subterranean haven at the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild was exactly what the house needed. It’s not like we’re tired of creative director Daniel Roseberry’s internet-breaking fashion stunts, but the decision to take a more focused (though still certainly fantastical) approach to evolving house codes was perfectly supported by the more subdued and sultry atmosphere.
Moodily lit by hanging chandeliers, the collection was a surrealist revisiting of some of Elsa Schiaparelli’s signature design codes and perspective, seen through a distorted cinematic lens. The silver feathers of the opening look’s winged cape was an homage to the feathered stole that Schiaparelli once wore in reference to the great ballerina Anna Pavlova, for whom she was often mistaken. Hourglass shapes and dramatic details evoke the designer’s famed connections with the surrealist painters.
Nonetheless, Daniel Roseberry’s own imaginative handwriting – particularly his subtle sense of humor and love for all things sculptural – is present throughout. This feels like a collection Elsa Schiaparelli might have witnessed in a fleeting dream, or a psychic message transmitted to Roseberry by ghosts of the past – and it’s a stunning way to kick off the Fall 2024 couture season.
THE BUZZWORDS
Cinematic. Phantasmagoric. Surreal. Sculptural.
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look #30
Every look in this collection is a world of mysterious beauty all its own, but this one overwhelms through the sheer drama and volume – not to mention the incredible skill behind making all those layers of tulle with silver embellishments appear weightless.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
While Daniel Roseberry has had some theatrical moments in the past, this entire runway show felt like a trip to an otherworldly cinema, cabaret, or ballet. Opulent, haunting, and phantasmagorically beautiful, the collection is a fitting homage to the house’s past and a potent reminder of the greatness still to come.
