Elsa Schiaparelli

Download or read book Elsa Schiaparelli written by Meryle Secrest and published by Knopf. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first biography of the grand couturier, surrealist, and embattled figure (her medium was apparel), whose extraordinary work has stood the test of time. Her style was a social revolution through clothing-luxurious, eccentric, ironic, sexy; synonymous with fashion innovation and chicesse. She was audacious; her fashions were inspired from the whimsical to the most practical-from a Venetian cape of the commedia dell'arte to a Soviet parachute. She collaborated on her designs with some of the greatest artists of the twentieth-century: on jewelry with Jean Schlumberger; on clothes with Salvador Dalí; with Jean Cocteau, Alberto Giacometti; with photographers Man Ray, Horst, Cecil Beaton, and the young Richard Avedon. Her name: Elsa Schiaparelli. She was known as the Queen of Fashion; a headline attraction in the international glitter-glamour show of the late twenties and thirties; she gave fabulous parties-and went to those given by others; she lived and worked seriously and hard in much-photographed residences and was a guest at others; she knew the "everybodies" who were always "there" and inevitably became one of them herself, feted in Rome (where she was born), Paris, New York, London, Moscow, Dallas, Hollywood, Dublin. Now, Meryle Secrest, acclaimed biographer-whose work has been called "enthralling" (WSJ); "captivating" (WP Book World); "Rich in detail, scrupulously researched, sympathetically written" (NYRB), and who has captured the lives of many of the twentieth-century's most iconic, cultural figures, among them: Frank Lloyd Wright, Bernard Berenson, Leonard Bernstein, Duveen; Richard Rodgers; Modigliani; Stephen Sondheim-gives us the never-before-told story of this most extraordinary fashion designer, perhaps the most extraordinary fashion designer of the twentieth-century, who in her time was more famous than Chanel.

Download or read book Shocking Life written by Elsa Schiaparelli and published by V&a Fashion Perspectives. This book was released on 2018-08-07 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973), one of the leading fashion designers of the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, was known for her flair for the unusual. The first designer to use shoulder pads and animal prints, and the inventor of shocking pink, Schiaparelli collaborated with artists including Jean Cocteau, Alberto Giacometti, and Salvador Dal� to create extraordinary garments such as the Dal� Lobster Dress. Schiaparelli had an affluent clientele, from Katharine Hepburn to Marlene Dietrich, who embraced her outrageous but elegant designs. She designed aviator Amy Johnson's wardrobe for her solo flight to Cape Town in 1936 and the culottes for tennis champion Lil� �lvarez that outraged the lawn tennis establishment, and her clothes appeared in more than 30 films, including Every Day's a Holiday with Mae West and Moulin Rouge. Schiaparelli's fascinating autobiography charts her rise from resident of a rat-infested apartment to designer to the stars.

Download or read book Bloom written by Kyo Maclear and published by Tundra Books. This book was released on 2018-02-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A dazzling first-person picture book biography of the life of iconic fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli by the award-winning team who created Julia, Child. Here is the life of iconic fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who as a little girl in Rome, was told by her own mamma that she was brutta. Ugly. So she decided to seek out beauty around her, and found it everywhere. What is beauty? Elsa wondered. She looked everywhere for beauty until something inside of Elsa blossomed, and she became an artist with an incredible imagination. Defining beauty on her own creative terms, Schiaparelli worked hard to develop her designs, and eventually bloomed into an extraordinary talent who dreamed up the most wonderful dresses, hats, shoes and jewelry. Why not a shoe for a hat? Why not a dress with drawers? And she invented a color: shocking pink! Her adventurous mind was the key to her happiness and success--and is still seen today in her legacy of wild imagination. Daring and different, Elsa Schiaparelli used art to make fashion, and it was quite marvelous. Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad, the dynamic duo who created the critically acclaimed Julia, Child, team up again to bring to life the childhood memories and the inspiring milestones of the legendary Elsa Schiaparelli. With its warm, lyrical text and enchanting illustrations, Bloom shows readers how ingenuity, vision and self doubt all made Schiaparelli truly beautiful. A gift for her older fans and younger audiences who have yet to discover her genius, Bloom is sure to be an enthralling classic.

Download or read book Schiaparelli and the Artists written by André Leon Talley and published by Rizzoli Publications. This book was released on 2017-10-03 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Published on the occasion of the couture house’s ninetieth anniversary, this book celebrates Elsa Schiaparelli’s shared creative passion with the twentieth century’s most esteemed artists. Known for her bravado and boundary-pushing dresses, Elsa Schiaparelli is undoubtedly one of the greatest icons of twentieth-century fashion. After launching her eponymous haute couture house in Paris in 1927, the Roman-born designer captured the attention of the world at large not only thanks to her trompe l’oeil patterns and surrealist forms—but also because of her creative relationships with some of the epoch’s most renowned artists. From Salvador Dalí, who collaborated with Schiaparelli on her infamous Lobster Dress to Alberto Giacometti’s furnishings for her salon and René Magritte, whose surrealist works inspired some of the designer’s creations, this beautifully illustrated tome delves into the couturiere’s fascinating rapports with these artistic legends. Through never-before-seen photography, intimate anecdotes, and essays penned by some of today’s most authoritative fashion critics, curators, and personalities, this volume is the first definitive work dedicated to the shared inspiration between the designer and her circle of artist friends. Unique in its breadth of artwork and diverse contributors, this visually stunning book is a must for anyone interested in avant-garde art, twentieth-century fashion, or thought-provoking design.

Download or read book Schiaparelli & Prada written by Andrew Bolton and published by Metropolitan Museum of Art. This book was released on 2012 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Met's Spring 2012 Costume Institute exhibition, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, explores the striking affinities between Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, two Italian designers from different eras. Inspired by Miguel Covarrubias's "Impossible Interviews" for Vanity Fair in the 1930s, the exhibition features orchestrated conversations between these iconic women to suggest new readings of their most innovative work. Iconic ensembles will be presented with videos of simulated conversations between Schiaparelli and Prada directed by Baz Luhrmann, focusing on how both women explore similar themes in their work through very different approaches."--MMA website.

Download or read book Frocking Life written by BillyBoy* and published by Rizzoli Publications. This book was released on 2016-11-22 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At an early age, BillyBoy* chose two mentors: Bugs Bunny and Elsa Schiaparelli. From Bugs Bunny, he learned the basics of how to behave in society and how to manage life’s wicked turns; to be coy, smart, witty, and to always dress appropriately with the assurance of Beau Brummell. But most of all, his cartoon mentor taught him a lighthearted approach to life, and an entertaining charm that is to personality what humor is to good conversation. From Schiaparelli, who he discovered at age fourteen through a very strange hat in a Paris flea market, he learned the meanings of love and art. His human mentor opened doors that he “never even dreamed existed,” as the title character says to her nephew in Auntie Mame. As Schiap turned into a genuine passion, she became a golden thread that led to all sorts of discoveries, encounters, and inspirations over the next forty years. A wealthy orphan with a glamorous but complicated background, BillyBoy* adopted the legendary designer as a guardian angel of sorts, and has spent a lifetime searching for her, through her clothes. Inspired by Shocking Life, Schiaparelli's own memoir, FROCKING LIFE will resonate with anyone who loves fashion and flamboyant storytelling. Built around some of the most iconic pieces ever created by the designer, this book is about endless discoveries, and the meaning that can be transmitted, across decades, by a simple piece of clothing. Peopled by dazzling characters from Schiaparelli's own inner circle and the worlds of art and fashion— Saint Laurent, Vreeland, Warhol to name a few—this is a scintillating yet profound homage to a woman who saw life as art, and inspired a young boy to do the same. BillyBoy* has always been a strange fruit and it must be said, not everyone could have a bite of it. The press adored him since he was, as author Edmund White wrote, “good copy.” In fact, his thrilling journey through fashion, culture, and art are deeply tied to what he wore for each occasion. One day, it is a skintight silver lamé studded outfit by Nudie Cohen (the designer of Elvis Presley’s elaborate ensembles), which was originally made for David Cassidy. For a tea with the Begum Aga Khan at the Ritz, he played the part of the dandy in a conservative suit with impeccable tie, topped by a Vivienne Westwood/Malcolm McClaren Buffalo hat adorned with a silk lettuce leaf. For an interview at home with German Vogue, he transformed into a sex kitten in hot pants and an Yves Saint Laurent sheer blouse. This book is both BillyBoy*'s personal story of his intense spiritual and metaphysical journey through life, and also his authoritative insight into the life and work of Elsa Schiaparelli who became such an influence on him. As an historian and collector, his close examination of the milieu of European and American, Scandinavian and Asian high fashion and his detailed research into Schiaparelli's haute couture seasonal collections (and her vast number of licensed fashion and accessories) will appeal not only to fashionistas and haute couture devotees and collectors. It explores their relationship to her era, through the many friendships and relationships with the iconic people in fashion he forged over four decades. Anecdotes of varied stars in all aspects of culture will interest those who study 20th-century art and history.

Download or read book Hot Pink written by Susan Goldman Rubin and published by ABRAMS. This book was released on 2015-09-08 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shocking pink—hot pink, as it is called today—was the signature color of Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973) and perhaps her greatest contribution to the fashion world. Schiaparelli was one of the most innovative designers in the early 20th century. Many design elements that are taken for granted today she created and brought to the forefront of fashion. She is credited with many firsts: trompe l’oeil sweaters with collars and bows knitted in; wedge heels; shoulder bags; and even the concept of a runway show for presenting collections. Hot Pink—printed with a fifth color, hot pink!—explores Schiaparelli’s childhood in Rome, her introduction to high fashion in Paris, and her swift rise to success collaborating with surrealist and cubist artists like Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. The book includes an author’s note, a list of museums and websites where you can find Schiaparelli’s fashions, endnotes, a bibliography, and an index.