An Elsa Schiaparelli Exhibition Opens in Paris Next Month

The color hot pink wouldn't be as successful today if it weren't for Elsa Schiaparelli. The stylist, who named and popularized the color, became known for bringing surrealism to the fashion world. Her designs became more than just fashion—they became works of art, too. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris knows this very well. And so, this season, they will showcase a retrospective on Schiaparelli's legacy. 

The exhibition, Shocking: The Surreal World of Elsa Schiaparelli, will present the designer's creations alongside works signed by Salvador Dalí, Jean-Michel Frank, Meret Oppenheim, and Alberto Giacometti. Original sketches, from the vast collection donated by Schiaparelli, herself, to the French Customs Union, which is maintained by the museum, will also be on display. 

Visitors will be able to (re)discover the stylist's visionary work, talent, and influence through the evening dresses, casual and elegant clothes, jewelry, accessories, perfumes, and other items on display.

"In today's modern world, which sees an obvious direct link between fashion and art, Elsa Schiaparelli, a self-styled 'inspired' seamstress, appears now more than ever as a woman of our time," the Musée des Arts Décoratifs said in a statement.

“For two decades, Elsa Schiaparelli has lived and breathed avant-garde fashion, using it as a playing field to reinvent woman and femininity, style and spirit, with a work of life that remains surprisingly modern. She embodied the vision of a radiant and vibrant Paris with insatiable curiosity, delighting in all that was new.”

And even almost 70 years later, the Schiaparelli brand is still on the rise. As celebrities like Cardi B and public figures like the First Lady Jill Biden continue to wear Schiaparelli, (now under the influence of artistic director Daniel Roseberry) the House continues to cement its name in history. 

The exhibition will run from July 6 to January 22, 2023, in Paris, France.