You may be thinking, “What is haute couture?” Haute couture is considered exclusive fashion made-to-specific measurements using high-quality fabrics and extreme attention to detail. These clothes tend to be hand-made to ensure precision and are referred exclusively to French labels. With fast fashion on the rise and luxury brands losing its quality, haute couture is inching closer to the endangered species list.
Schiaparelli was founded in Paris, France by Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1930s starting with a fragrance and accessories such as the Mad Cap. In 1935, Schiaparelli opened the first modern Couture House with a boutique and an atelier in the same building. From the 1930s to the 1940s, Schiaparelli focused on travel wear and fragrances. During this time, Schiaparelli debuted a jacket using monkey fur and a headdress with a disc-like shape mimicking a cheetah. In the 1950s, Elsa Schiaparelli created the first suit dress and eyewear as a fashion accessory with bejeweled and feathered glasses. Schiaparelli passed in the hometown of her couture line, Paris, France, in 1973.
The brand took a lengthy hiatus until 2012 when the brand found a resurgence. Most notably, Daniel Roseberry became the new Creative Director in 2019. Schiaparelli has become known for distorting shapes and reimagining the form of clothing; also known as wearable art. Celebrities such as Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Julia Fox, Bella Hadid, and Lady Gaga have been spotted wearing Schiaparelli’s latest couture. With Roseberry as Creative Director, he introduced baroque iconography to the brand’s wearable art.
A recent article by Vogue explains the creation of the faux lion head featured in the Schiaparelli Spring 2023 Couture Collection and more infamously known on Kylie Jenner during the fashion show. Following in Elsa Schiaparelli’s footsteps, with a more ethical creation in mind, Roseberry creates a faux-taxidermy lion, tiger, and wolf heads using themes from her 1930s collection.
Remastering the brooch with a new meaning, the dress garnered controversy on social media platforms.
Roseberry was inspired by the 14th-century work by Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy. The book depicts a story of a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf which garnered the most inspiration. The Divine Comedy represented these characters with lust, pride, and avarice. In the article, he celebrates “the glory of nature and guarding the woman who wears it,” in these garments using faux-taxidermy lion heads.
The level of expertise and detail that went into hand molding, shaping, and painting is considered art and continues haute couture’s legacy. With controversy over the lion head, it serves as a reminder that haute couture is not made to be considered safe, or even wearable. Haute couture is made to be thought-provoking and push the boundaries of what is considered high fashion.
