Synopses & Reviews
Published in association with the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
A lavishly illustrated book that showcases the work of a celebrated and colorful fashion designer.
Elsa Schiaparelli (18901973) was the premier style arbiter of the 1930s a favorite designer of women who made the best-dressed list, of female sports heroes, and of film and theater actresses. This extraordinary book is the first comprehensive look at the work of this startling and innovative Paris fashion designer.
Shocking! explores the Italian-born designer's career from its modernist beginnings in the 1920s to the closing of her salon in 1954. Author Dilys E. Blum discusses in detail for the first time Schiaparelli's impact on and relationship with the American fashion industry, the foundation of her great success. The author also addresses how Schiaparelli's early designs were acclaimed for the architectural quality of her silhouettes and her use of unconventional materials. After 1935 the designer's collections took on a new identity, partly from her close relationship with the Parisian artistic community, which included Man Ray, Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau, and Alberto Giacometti.
Lavishly illustrated with over 300 captivating reproductions of Schiaparelli clothing and accessories, this book also includes contemporary photos of her designs by such key fashion photographers as Horst and Cecil Beaton and sketches and stills from the films and plays with which she was associated. Together the text and illustrations celebrate a masterful designer who defined dressmaking as an art rather than as a profession.
This book is the catalogue for an exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (September 28, 2003 to January 4, 2004).
Review
"This beautifully designed, large-format book with 306 illustrations would make a wonderful gift for anyone interested in the glamour of early 20th-century fashion." Publishers Weekly
Review
"In brief essays, Blum chronicles the design career of this remarkable woman....A welcome addition to collections focusing on design, decorative arts, and fashion." Library Journal
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 315) and index.
About the Author
Dilys E. Blum is the Curator of Costume and Textiles at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Table of Contents
Lenders to the Exhibition 6
Foreword 7
Preface 8
The Beginning 10
Pour le Sport 12
Architect of Fashion, Carpenter of Clothes 32
In the Shadow of Napoleon 70
After Dark 100
Art into Fashion, Fashion into Art 120
Metamorphosis 150
Six Collections 168
The Circus Comes to Town
A Pagan Collection
Lucky Stars
A Modern Comedy
Return to the Bustle
Music in the Air
A Matter of Prestige 220
Themes and Variations 248
Dressing for Film and Stage 288
Stylistic and Historical Chronology 292
Sources Consulted 302
List of Illustrations 306
Selected Bibliography 315
Acknowledgments 316
Index of Names 319