Elsa Schiaparelli: The History of the House From 1927 to Today

Schiaparelli is a Paris couture house founded by Elsa Schiaparelli, an Italian born designer, whose 1927 trompe l’oeil sweater launched one of the most influential fashion houses of the 1930s. She closed the house in 1954 and died in 1973; the house reopened at 21 Place Vendôme in 2012, received the official Haute Couture label in 2017, and has been designed by Daniel Roseberry since April 2019. Today you can shop the house on the Schiaparelli at Coveti hub, and our is Schiaparelli a luxury brand guide places it among its peers.

Key facts about Schiaparelli

• Founder: Elsa Schiaparelli, born in Rome in 1890.
• House founded: 1927, Paris.
• Address: 21 Place Vendôme, Paris, since 1935.
• Closed: 1954. Reopened: 2012.
• Owner: Diego Della Valle, who bought the house in 2007.
• Creative director: Daniel Roseberry, since April 2019.

Timeline

• 1927: Elsa Schiaparelli knits a black and white trompe l’oeil sweater for herself. Its illusion bow wins international attention and launches the house.
• 1929: the first fragrance, “S”.
• 1931: the Aspirin necklace with the writer Elsa Triolet, the first of many artist collaborations.
• 1932: the Mad Cap knit hat, widely copied.
• 1934: Elsa appears on the cover of Time, the first female designer to do so.
• 1935: the house moves to the Hôtel de Fontpertuis at 21 Place Vendôme, designed with Jean-Michel Frank and Alberto Giacometti. The first Dalí collaboration is a powder compact shaped like a telephone dial.
• 1937: Shocking pink and the Shocking perfume, whose bottle is a dressmaker’s bust with a measuring tape. The Lobster dress with Dalí, worn by Wallis Simpson.
• 1939 and 1940: the Snuff and Sleeping perfumes.
• 1953: costumes for Zsa Zsa Gabor in John Huston’s Moulin Rouge.
• 1954: the couture house closes; Elsa writes her autobiography, Shocking Life.
• 1973: Elsa Schiaparelli dies in her sleep in Paris.
• 2012: the house reopens at 21 Place Vendôme.
• 2013: Christian Lacroix designs a tribute couture collection.
• 2014: the first haute couture show since 1954.
• 2017: the official Haute Couture label.
• 2019: Daniel Roseberry named creative director in April.
• 2021: Lady Gaga wears Schiaparelli couture and a Dove brooch to sing the anthem at the US presidential inauguration.

Who owns Schiaparelli now?

Schiaparelli is owned by the Italian businessman Diego Della Valle, chairman of Tod’s, who acquired the dormant house in 2007 and relaunched it at Place Vendôme in 2012.

Elsa Schiaparelli and the surrealists

Schiaparelli worked with Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau, Man Ray, Alberto Giacometti and Marcel Vertès. Those collaborations produced the codes still used today, from the Lobster to trompe l’oeil; our Schiaparelli codes explained guide traces each one into the current collection.

Schiaparelli under Daniel Roseberry

Roseberry, an American designer who joined from Thom Browne, reworked the archive into gilded anatomy: gold toes, eyes, ears, Keyholes. His ready-to-wear is made in Italy; see the ready-to-wear guide, the shoes guide and pieces such as the Doodle Dress and Knitted Keyhole Dress.

Schiaparelli the house, not the astronomer

Elsa Schiaparelli’s uncle was the astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, known for mapping Mars; the European Mars lander was named after him. The fashion house is a separate entity.

The Schiaparelli perfumes

Schiaparelli and her rivals

In the 1930s Schiaparelli was the great rival of Coco Chanel: where Chanel built a uniform of restraint, Schiaparelli made fashion a stage for art and wit. That contrast still defines the house today, and it is why our brands like Schiaparelli guide looks to designers who treat clothes as sculpture.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Schiaparelli?

Elsa Schiaparelli, an Italian born designer, founded the house in Paris in 1927.

Who owns Schiaparelli now?

Schiaparelli is owned by Diego Della Valle, chairman of Tod’s, who bought the house in 2007 and reopened it at 21 Place Vendome in 2012.

When did Schiaparelli close?

Elsa Schiaparelli closed her couture house in 1954 and devoted herself to her autobiography, Shocking Life.

How did Elsa Schiaparelli die?

Elsa Schiaparelli died in her sleep in Paris in 1973, according to the house history.

Who is the creative director of Schiaparelli?

Daniel Roseberry has been creative director of Schiaparelli since April 2019.

What is Schiaparelli famous for?

Schiaparelli is famous for surrealist fashion: trompe l’oeil, Shocking pink, the Lobster dress with Salvador Dali, and today the gilded anatomical jewellery, bags and shoes of Daniel Roseberry.