Schiaparelli Group

Who owns Schiaparelli?
Schiaparelli is owned by Diego Della Valle, the Italian entrepreneur who controls Tod's Group (the luxury goods company behind Tod's, Hogan, and Roger Vivier). Della Valle acquired the Schiaparelli name and archives and invested in reviving the house, which relaunched with collections in 2014.

Who is the artistic director of Schiaparelli?
Daniel Roseberry has served as Schiaparelli's artistic director since 2019. Roseberry, an American designer from Texas who previously worked at Thom Browne, has achieved significant critical acclaim and cultural visibility for his surrealist-inspired haute couture and ready-to-wear collections.

Who founded Schiaparelli?
The original Maison Schiaparelli was founded in 1927 in Paris by Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Elsa Schiaparelli was one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century, known for her surrealist-inspired designs and collaborations with artists including Salvador Dali. The original house closed in 1954. The house was revived by Diego Della Valle and relaunched with collections in 2014.

Where is Schiaparelli headquartered?
Schiaparelli is headquartered in Paris, France, where the house's atelier and boutique are located. The house presents its haute couture collections in Paris during Haute Couture Week (January and July) and its ready-to-wear collections during Paris Fashion Week.

Is Schiaparelli publicly traded?
No, Schiaparelli is privately owned by Diego Della Valle and is not listed on any stock exchange. The house operates as an independent luxury fashion brand.

What is Schiaparelli known for?
Schiaparelli is known for its surrealist-inspired luxury fashion, including haute couture pieces featuring trompe l'oeil effects, sculptural elements, and bold artistic references. The house gained significant cultural visibility under artistic director Daniel Roseberry, with pieces worn by Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Cate Blanchett, and other celebrities at major events.

Elsa Schiaparelli was born in Rome in 1890 and moved to Paris in the 1920s, where she established herself as one of the most innovative and influential fashion designers of the 20th century. She founded her fashion house in 1927 in Paris, initially producing knitwear before expanding to full couture collections.

Schiaparelli's work in the 1930s was characterized by its surrealist influences, reflecting her friendships and collaborations with artists including Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, and Man Ray. Her most famous designs include the Lobster Dress (created with Dali), the Skeleton Dress, the Shoe Hat, and the Tear Dress. She invented the color "shocking pink" and launched the fragrance Shocking in 1937.

Schiaparelli was one of the dominant forces in Paris fashion alongside Coco Chanel during the 1930s. The two designers were rivals, with Chanel reportedly dismissing Schiaparelli as "that Italian woman who makes clothes." Schiaparelli's influence on fashion was profound, introducing surrealism, trompe l'oeil, and conceptual design to mainstream fashion.

The original Maison Schiaparelli closed in 1954, as Elsa Schiaparelli struggled to adapt to the postwar fashion landscape dominated by Christian Dior's New Look. Elsa Schiaparelli died in 1973.

The Schiaparelli name and archives were acquired by Diego Della Valle in 2006. Della Valle invested in reviving the house, appointing Christian Lacroix to create an exhibition in 2012 and then relaunching with ready-to-wear collections in 2014 under artistic director Marco Zanini. Bertrand Guyon served as artistic director from 2015 to 2019.

Daniel Roseberry, an American designer from Texas who had previously worked at Thom Browne, was appointed artistic director in 2019. Roseberry's first collection was presented in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenging environment, Roseberry's work quickly gained critical acclaim and cultural visibility, with his haute couture pieces becoming some of the most photographed and discussed fashion moments of the early 2020s.

Schiaparelli generated significant controversy in January 2023 when Kylie Jenner wore a Schiaparelli haute couture look featuring a hyper-realistic lion's head to the Paris Haute Couture Week shows. The look, which used faux fur and sculpted materials (not real animal parts), generated debate about the ethics of fashion imagery and the use of animal imagery in luxury fashion.

Daniel Roseberry's work has occasionally been criticized for being too conceptual or theatrical for everyday wear, though this is a common critique of avant-garde haute couture.