Inside the Shocking And Extraordinary World Of Schiaparelli at the V&A

In the recent exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli (and Daniel Rosebery) at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Schiaparelli: fashion becomes art, People are amazed by Schiap’s sheer modernity and invention. (Daniel is a talented designer, but I will focus here on Elsa’s extraordinary creations. Daniel’s own extraordinary creations live in all our memories, and each one has a story he tells, so they answer themselves. They are extraordinary, by the way!)

Begin as I did in the entrance gallery room, which shows Chiap—life-size—sitting in her salon at 21 Place Vendôme, with the Vendôme colonnades behind her clearly visible through her tall, frilly mesh curtains. Hanging on the wall is a newspaper she printed in 1935, with clippings of Women’s Wear Daily Wait, there are Schiap innovations on every page.

Among them are three sweaters knitted by Armenian women, paired with the mélange scarves for which Schiap first became famous. (The show is curated by Sonnet Stanfill, who does an amazing job).

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At the back of the room, there is a garment that can be seen through an arched opening. (The exhibition is very well designed, displaying and amassing a collection of jackets, hats, perfume bottles and dresses.) The dress on the left was made for actress Ruth Ford and is an absolute marvel to behold. The sister of the Surrealist writer Charles Henry Ford (who met Elsa Schiaparelli), she was stunningly beautiful and charming. It’s a surprisingly modern piece made from black knitted fabric, with the arms and neck covered and then padded with bone structure. It is based on a sketch by Sharp’s friend Salvador Dalí (also seen in this exhibition). “Dear Elsa,” Dali wrote, “I like the idea of ’bones on the outside’ very much.” Its placement is so clever that when one comes to it again (a few rooms later) one sees that its back is also padded with “bones.”

Andrew Bolton wants it badly for his Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Dialogue In 2012, it was deemed too fragile to travel. (This will most likely be the last time it is on display due to its fragile condition).