46 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017
This modern
revisit is an
homage to Elsa’s
Lobster Dress that
was designed in
collaboration with
Salvador Dalí.
Born to a wealthy Italian family in
Rome, Elsa Schiaparelli’s early life
showed no signs of her future in fashion,
as she traveled about to England,
New York, Boston and Paris. She later
subverted traditional notions of women,
as she exaggerated the transgressive
nature of fashion by using surrealistic
themes in her designs. Working with
Dalí, she became known for her vibrant
colors, unusual fabrics and elegant,
handmade decorations. As a result,
her designs were coveted by avantgarde
feminists like Wallis Simpson, the
Duchess of Windsor; and film stars Mae
West and Marlene Dietrich. Schiaparelli
was a cultural force whose inspiration
rivaled that of Dalí.
Like Dali’s paintings, Schiaparelli’s
creations, which were executed with
exquisite craftsmanship, married
new ideas with traditional craft. The
dreamlike visions of both Schiaparelli
and Dalí equally shocked and delighted
the senses as they reflected a sense of
freedom during the period between
World Wars I and II. Her initial success
in the fashion world was a collection
of knitwear that used a special doublelayered
stitch and featured surrealistic
trompe l’oeil images. By 1931, she had
added luxury silk evening wear to her
line, which led to her acquiring 21 Place
Vendôme in Paris, which she named
Schiap Shop. In 1954, Schiaparelli closed
her couture house after 27 years and
proceeded to write her autobiography,
Shocking Life. Her daughter Gogo from
an earlier failed marriage married
shipping executive Robert Berenson.
They had two daughters – model Marisa
Berenson and Berry Berenson, who
married actor Anthony Perkins.