Designer Of the Week: Elsa Schiaparelli

This week I'm taking you back in time to the 1930's.

ELSA SCHIAPARELLI

Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli was a large influential figure in fashion between the two world wars. Schiaparelli's vision and creations still influence the style of popular figures and designers of today. Schiaparelli had a lot of 'firsts' in the industry, but is not as well known as her rival Coco Chanel because of the failure of her business. This is great pity as she brought a lot of change. She was the first designer to use brightly coloured zips and zips that were dyed to match the colour of the clothing. Also being the first to introduce different shapes, animals or insects to the form of a button. Schiaparelli was well known for her unusual prints of food or objects on to her garments, for example the 'Lobster Dress'.

Lobster Dress - 1937

Her innovative thinking, which was way before its time, was put into collaboration with another innovative thinker, the famous surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. Together they came up with her most outrageous work; the 'Skeleton Dress' and the 'Shoe Hat'. These are two of my favourites, especially the 'Shoe Hat' as I'm really starting to get quite a fetish for headwear.

Shoe Hat - 1937

Absolute favourite! I would consider 're-creating' one but I don't quite believe in re-creations as I think it's just another word for 'Knock Off'. However I did find a hat similar to Schiaparelli's in one of my favourite films; Brazil (1985), worn by the ever changing face of Mrs. Lowry.. 

Brazil (1985)

This just goes to show that although she isn't nearly as critically acclaimed as former rival Coco Chanel, she sure has and will influence the fashion industry in years to come.

J'adore

Pip Alexander x

Designer Of the Week: Gareth Pugh

'Designer Of the Week' is obviously a weekly post, where I randomly select a designer from my list of many favourites and showcase and comment on them. Along with a few of my favourite images of either them or their work and hopefully also a good video too. :)

GARETH PUGH

English designer Gareth Pugh wows the fashion world with his performance art/ready-to-wear which transforms the models into architectural superhuman beings. I love this about his work,what he creates always seems to make a simplistic yet audacious statement. 

Anja Rubik in Gareth Pugh - Spring Ready-to-Wear 2009


Gareth's work always stands out to me each year and I think this is mostly to do with the fact that he is different from the other 'alternative designers'. His firm belief in who he is and what he does is the reason why his aesthetic doesn't change each season and I believe this is why he can't be compared to any of the other alternative designers. He more or less undergoes transitions or evolutions from his previous collections. This shows that his collections are a true expression of self rather then of reference. As he is has only really had 5 years in the business, from what I can see so far, Pugh still has a lot ahead of him and I'm really looking forward to seeing the many collections and new evolutions yet to come.

From the Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear Collection 

Film by Ruth Hogben

J'adore
Pip Alexander x