Schiaparelli In The Lead
My first experience with Schiaparelli was in the 7th grade. I was lucky enough to travel to New York City to see the Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations. The exhibit was an exciting look into everything that is possible when fashion meets a brilliant mind. The playfulness of the intrinsic art elements captivated the young me who hadn’t seen any thing like it before. The interest in Schiaparelli continued on for a while, but slowly waned away as I discovered new (to me) designers, as things do when you’re a young teenager. Still, the name Schiaparelli had been lodged into my brain permanently.
It’s when Daniel Roseberry is announced as the new Artistic Director for the house in 2019 that I started really paying attention to Schiaparelli again. From the get-go, Roseberry’s Schiaparelli felt different from the other couture houses for me. The clothing was beautiful and thoughtful, but something else stood out to me. Diversity. It was more than just diversity in skin tone too. The faces of the models differed greatly. Of course, all of the models had that “high fashion” look, but it went a bit deeper than that. There’s a distinct lack of the euro-centric beauty standard faces on the runway at Roseberry’s Schiaparelli and it’s wonderful.
At the heart of the Schiaparelli identity is Surrealism, an art style that is rooted in the rejection of the conventional. By selecting models that don’t have the Hadid-Jenner look we’ve grown accustomed to seeing on the runway, Schiaparelli makes the models part of the show in a new way. The models don’t seem to be there just to show off the clothes, but to create an experience different than that which you see at Chanel, for example.
This pattern continues into other outlets for showcasing the Schiaparelli brand. On the Schiaparelli instagram, you are greeted by a refreshing feed. It’s once again a showcase of the diversity that Roseberry’s Schiaparelli seems to invite. There are the models showcasing the pieces, but you’ll also find a number of clients they have dressed. This is where I find that the House really sets itself apart from its peers. The celebrities and public figures they publicize are a group full of variety. The very first person featured is Michelle Obama. In a post shared on November 18th, 2019, the former first lady is pictured in a beautiful yellow gown designed by Roseberry. Beyoncé’s 77th Golden Globe Awards outfit is there, as is Cynthia Erivo’s 26th SAG awards look. It’s not just women, either. Playwright Jeremy O’Harris and Actor Indya Moore are featured in the clothing.
There seems to be a clear effort to make the Schiaparelli brand one that is known to be inclusive to all genders, sexualities, races, ages, and body types. The intersectionality of those qualities is also there. They don’t shy away from figures that have been outspoken about the injustice that faces our society. Most importantly, it isn’t a new thing for the House. The entirety of Daniel Roseberry’s work at Schiaparelli has had this range. In a time where we are seeing a massive push for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the fashion industry and outside of it, Schaparelli is leading the way.