An Everyday Sensation at Schiaparelli’s Spring Summer 2024 Show
Schiaparelli may be known for its extravagant couture shows, but the brand’s Ready-to-Wear presentations are just as compelling. For its latest Spring Summer 2024 show, creative director Daniel Roseberry highlighted the French fashion house’s DNA, looking back at Elsa Schiaparelli’s surrealist work to create a wearable collection fit for present times.
Starting Off Strong
Aptly titled “Everyday Sensation,” Roseberry’s latest effort reinterpreted founder Elsa Schiaparelli’s ethos, “Begin with an everyday garment [..] but make it a sensation.” In the show notes, Roseberry explained, “From head to golden toes, Schiaparelli ready to wear is an exercise in making the every day come to more vivid, more surprising life. I have found that the more familiar the item […] the more joyful it is to rediscover it anew.”
Accordingly, the show opened with model Shalom Harlow dressed in a zip-up wool jacket with exaggerated boxy shoulders and Schiaparelli’s Measuring Tape detail at the collar. A spiky top paired with black tailored pants followed up — a sort of reassurance that the odd extravagance we all know and love Schiaparelli for would still be present in this runway.
Then entered the signature Schiaparelli gold, in the form of embroideries, tailored crop blazers, supersized accessories, and body jewelry. The pieces were balanced out with sleek and polished looks in a neutral color palette — black, ecru and white. By pairing statement pieces and monochromatic clothing, the house offered inspiration on how intricate looks can be styled for every occasion.
Essentials but Make it Schiaparelli
As the show progressed, designs turned more complex. Cut-out details, asymmetric shawl collars, and Schiaparelli iconography (including the keyhole and padlock, the dove, and the eye) became recurrent elements in the next looks.
Roseberry sent an array of timeless silhouettes down the runway: bodycon jersey sets, LBDs, and classic suits — all with a twist, of course. But the wardrobe staples such as elevated white shirts, blazers, and even denim, were not the only items proving that Schiaparelli can be part of an everyday wardrobe. Roseberry also reworked the American sports trainer into a new brand must-have: a sneaker with golden toes.
An Ode to Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí
In this collection, Roseberry also paid tribute to Elsa Schiaparelli’s most artistic and unconventional side. The creative director brought back the lobster motif popularized through the designer’s collaborations with the surrealist icon Salvador Dali. Roseberry found musing in the Lobster Dress (1937) to create several pieces including a maxi ruched skirt with a lobster at its center and a black dress with a gold lobster ornament hanging from the neckline.
Another reference to the archives was a black bodysuit featuring trompe-l’oeil details resembling the rib cage, an idea borrowed from the 1938 Skeleton Dress — an evening dress that combined wearability, artistic sensibilities and Elsa Schiaparelli’s love for avant-garde statements.
Putting it in Neutral
Speaking of statements, the exuberant fashion pieces were accompanied by glamorous mahogany eyeshadow, creamy peach lipstick, and glazed skin, on the beauty front. Models sported glazed donut skin, complemented with light bronzing and contour to give dimension to the face. Generous amounts of highlighter were scattered across the high points of the face for a glowing goddess effect.
Golden and champagne shimmers were used to open up the eyes, while warm chestnut and cocoa browns were fluffed around the eye sockets to create a larger eye effect. Satin and glossy lipstick shades — namely cocoa and warm peach — were brushed just over the cupid’s bow and bottom lip line.
The Red Wave Continues
As per New York Fashion Week beauty trends, the preference for strong red lips continues in full swing across fashion capitals. Riding the red wave, models walked the runway with bright red lacquered lips. The shade of choice for Schiaparelli was a satin-matte tomato red. Fitting for the bold fashion house, plump pouts were outlined and coated to the fullest opacity with the bright lip product.
A Dash of Quirkiness
Known for its quirky designs, the fashion house had to throw a few equally fantastical makeup looks and accessories. Putting a twist on the “I’m Cold” makeup trend, a model appeared with iridescent flakes that coated her face and decolletage. Similarly, as glasses have been all the rage during Fashion Week, pairs of golden eyewear made an appearance for a few looks. Bestowing an avant-garde flare, eyelashes and eyebrows floated above the skinny frames, as a contrasting touch for the classic beauty looks — and as a preview of Schiaparelli’s upcoming eyewear brand.
All or Nothing
Historically speaking, the house of Schiaparelli loves a strong statement and this was the case in the hair department too. Models walked down the runway with slicked-back do’s: ponytails, buns and pixie cuts. In some cases, the minimalist hair choice was supported by a handful of headbands and headpieces.
Model Kendall Jenner, closed the show with a throwback hairstyle. Teased and sculpted to perfection, the model’s 1960s larger-than-life bouffant championed the ultra-feminine aesthetic and served as the final touch to a candy-red finale — a bodycon dress entirely embellished with sequins.
In a world of marked dichotomies, Daniel Roseberry presented a fully-fledged collection that embraced duality. “As we have to understand today, two things can be true at once,” he wrote in the show notes. At Schiaparelli, the truth is that everyday silhouettes can flawlessly merge with quirk, elevated craftsmanship, and high-quality garment construction.
The message is clear: Schiaparelli is just as wearable as any other brand. It is also unique in its own right. And both truths can coexist.
Want to read more about Paris Fashion Week? Check out our rundown of Balmain’s SS24 collection here.
