Schiaparelli Spring 2023 Couture
Schiaparelli Spring 2023 Couture
By: Kate Kimberlin
Couture week began in Paris this year with famed Italian fashion house Schiaparelli starting off the week on Monday. The 96-year-old house has a reputation for making bold statements in their clothing, from the consistent use of surrealism found in several collections to its overall sense of humor. Current Creative Director David Roseberry stayed true to these ideals this season, with looks that included a bronze mask that resembled an Egyptian Death Mask, and multiple looks adorned with fake animal heads that sparked controversy across the internet.
For a house known for debuting the color “shocking pink,” this collection contained a surprisingly muted palette, with tones of black, gold, and copper. For what the collection lacks in color, it makes up with luxury quilting, elaborate bejeweling, and dramatic silhouettes. And, in true haute couture fashion, there were several head-turning pieces outside of the fake taxidermy, including multiple metal masks, adornments large enough to cover model’s faces, and tailored jackets that tower over their wearers.
With any haute couture runway show, textures are an important cornerstone. In this collection, many garments have a regal feel with the jeweling, uses of gold metal, and fake animal furs. Some commentators cite the collection’s regal roots to come from Dante’s “Inferno.” Even the more basic garments feel rich with the uses of satin, velvet, and various types of tailoring. While the collection definitely has regal inspirations, the use of oversized shoulder pads, cinched waists, and elements that sometimes extend above the model, it reflects a more futuristic take of regality and high fashion.
The runway show on Monday morning was incredibly star-studded, but there were several names that sparked internet buzz when they arrived dressed in the brand. Supermodels Naomi Campbell, Irina Shayak, and Shalom Harlow were the three models that went down the runway in dresses adorned in a faux-taxidermy wolf, snow leopard, and lion, respectively, but Kylie Jenner was seated front row in the same dress Shalom Harlow was modeling. The dresses have all sparked controversy all over the internet, with debates on if the brand is being thoughtful or glorifying hunting and poaching.
Another celebrity donned in Schiaparelli was rapper Doja Cat, who wore a ruby red dress not modeled in the show. To match, she covered the rest of her body in over 30,000 red hand-applied Swarovski crystals. The process is said to have taken over 5 hours, which was confirmed by celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath. He is the one credited for helping the artist through the process, calling the final look “Doja’s Inferno.”
Italian fashion house Schiaparelli has set a bar for the rest of the week in Paris. Just over the past few days, the world has turned their attention to not only the show, but the many celebrities that have been brave enough to don their fascinating pieces. If this collection says anything about Roseberry as a creative director, it is that he has found a home in haute couture.
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