SCHIAPARELLI DANIEL ROSEBERRY SS 2020 RTW Art Inspiring Fashion

When I think of art and fashion, Daniel Roseberry, the creative director for Schiaparelli, immediately comes to mind. Roseberry brilliantly carries on Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy, blending surrealist art with high fashion in bold and innovative ways. Elsa Schiaparelli, a trailblazer in the 1930s and 40s, collaborated with some of the greatest artists of her time. Alberto Giacometti crafted unique buttons for her designs. Man Ray often photographed her and Meret Oppenheim designed a fur bracelet featured in her 1939 summer collection. While, Salvador Dalí inspired some of her most iconic creations, including the high heel-shaped “shoe hat” and a dress printed with trompe-l’œil rips.

It is, therefore, no surprise that Creative Director Daniel Roseberry also turned to art to create his first ready to wear collection for Schiaparelli. When we spoke with Roseberry he told us that after reading Elsa Schiaparelli’s autobiography he was inspired by a story from her childhood when she swallowed flower seeds hoping to turn into a flower herself. Roseberry imagined that the flowers continued to grow in her body and that lead to his first tribute sculpture in a humanoid floral bouquet.

He told us that he drew a total of 20 totems, 10 of which were created for the show. Roseberry explained that “The larger than life sculptures are in the shape of Elsa in tribute to her. They started the inspiration for the collection so that there are two looks per sculpture. It is a tribute to her but also very personal to me.” In reference to the My Little Pony sculpture on his left “Those were my favorite toys as a child. I literally had over 100 of them. Each of the sculptures is personal and I wanted to have fun while respecting and turning up the volume for the codes of the house.”

From his initial understanding of Elsa Schiaparelli to the spark of inspiration, Roseberry lets his hand and mind freely create art and then fashion. He has truly turned up the volume and captured our full attention!

Elsa Schiaparelli obsessed over nature, displacement, and bold, jeering colors while innovating with fabrics. She created clothing for women eager to express themselves. Roseberry channels this spirit in his collection, offering women chic minimalism and aerodynamic style by day. By night, he invites them to embrace bold, fantastical designs. He showcases a perfect pair of trousers with a touch of originality, a sheer dress in striking green and black with floor-length sleeves, and a black sheath dress with fabric that mimics shiny hair, worn over pants. A pink suit with short sleeves reveals a sheer blouse adorned with flowering cuffs, exuding sophistication.

Roseberry also ventures into bold creativity, using scanned human hair printed on fabric to craft a golden suit and dress. Scanned brown paper bags and photographed water transform into stunning complete looks. The accessories elevate the artistry further: a headpiece shaped like an octopus wraps around the model’s head, and a bracelet spells out “Schiaparelli” in large letters with tiny ladybugs crawling over it. These pieces are truly sublime works of art.

Daniel Roseberry fully embraces Schiaparelli’s essence, expressing his creativity freely while preserving the Maison’s legacy. We eagerly watch as he leads Schiaparelli forward and anticipates the unveiling of more of his stunning sculptures. These impressive monolithic pieces could easily appear at Art Basel or FIAC, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see them there. Time will tell!

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