Biography
Elsa Skiaparelli - the legend of the world of high fashion. Less known than Coco Chanel with her small black dress, but by the number of inventions left behind dozens of feshen-masters with loud names. The fruits of her friendship and cooperation with Pablo Picasso and Salvador were delivered by things that fit to evaluate as works of art, and not the objects of the wardrobe. Marlene Dietrich and Catherine Hepburn revealed for honor to dress at Skiaparelli. She is the first one who managed to brilliantly "cross" fashion and surrealism.Childhood and youth
The designer and the fashion designer was born in Rome in the fall of 1890. Parents called the girl Elza Louise Maria. She was extremely lucky with a pedigree: Skiaparelli - famous aristocratic surname in Italy.
Father Elza is an eminent scientist, the dean of the University of Rome, the connoisseur of Islamic civilization and the epoch of the Middle Ages. Uncle - a famous astronomer who told the world about the existence of Martian Channels. The second uncle is an Egyptologist, who found the victim of the first wife of Ramses II - Queen Nefertari.
Elsa Skiaparelli did not have a chance of growing an ordinary girl. Since childhood, it was surrounded by people talented, with encyclopedic knowledge. In early youth, she admired the history, culture and religious rites of the ancient peoples. Under the impression of these knowledge, a collection of verses of "Aretus" wrote.
The content and meaning of the essays of the daughter alarmed their parents. To curb the rapid fantasies Elsa, the girl was determined in the Swiss boarding school at the monastery. In response to strict rules, young Skiaparelli declared a hunger strike. I had to pick her home.
After graduating from school, the aristocrat went to the university, headed by the Father, where he took up the study of philosophy. Leave Rome and move to London Elza forced the desire of the parents to marry her for an unloved man.
In England, Skiaparelli settled a nanny to a country house.
Personal life
It is not known how the biography of the fashioner would have formed, if the Skiaparelli had not survived a number of drams in the personal life of Skiaparelli. In his youth, she was fascinated by a talented fraud named Wilhelm de Kerlor, who seemed psychic and lectured on theosophy. They announced the engagement on the second day after the acquaintance.Spouses lived on the money of Skiaparelli family. In 1915, Kerlow deported from Britain for fortune telling. The couple went through different countries, while in the 1920s Elsa did not give birth to the daughter of Gogo, which was raised alone: after 8 years, her husband was killed in Mexico.
Another love - Opera singer Mario Laurenti - ended the tragedy: Mario unexpectedly died.
A couturier wrote about himself in the book "My shocking life", where the fans of her creativity discovered many interesting facts about the favorite.
Career
Interest in the design of clothing from Elsa woke up unexpectedly. The place where the love of fashion was born, Paris became. Working a guide, outraged woman noted that tourists are not interested in city attractions, but fashion stores. Soon she, herself thought about creating exclusive things.
Azam modeling Italian learned from the Poire field. The revolutionary of the trendy "front" threw out uncomfortable corsets and too long dresses that were constrained by the horses. Later, Elsa called Poire a generous mentor, an expensive friend.
Armenian-town became the first partner of the beginning Kuturier. The sweater of her authorship Elsa noted on the other. Having become acquainted with the craftswoman, together with her, developed the first models of sweaters and knitted dresses with a print.
Products instantly became the hits of French fashionistas. Patterns in the form of lobsters, pierced hearts, sailor tattoos and even skeletons were shocked and attracted at the same time. Later Skiaparelli called the Queen of the Print. Her fantasy gave birth to drawings with the image of newspaper clippings, lobster, cabbage and African motifs.
Recommending the knitting collection, the designer took the swimsuits, sports costumes and pajamas. Introducing popularity, received an order from the company "Ostrich" on tracksuits. She worked on them with the Armenian community of Paris. As a result, the Armenians opened a knitwear factory, and the Italian - the fashion house on Ryu de la-Per, who soon called Skiap (nickname Elsa among friends).
In the 1928th, the fashion designer released the first perfumes, calling them S. For the manufacture, the ingredients (fragrance) were used with names to the letter "C". Then the aromas of Soucis, Salut and Schiap came out. Perfume Shocking! Elsa placed in a bottle in the shape of a female figure. Later, Jean-Paul Gauthier borrowed an idea.
In the 1930s Skiap salon became the center of Parisian fashion, where celebrities dressed. Acquaintance with the artists Salvador Dali and Jean Cokto, grew into friendship and cooperation, raised the brand Skiaparelli to a new level. Dresses and manto now decorated paintings of painting matters.
Joint creativity with Dali presented the fashionmented Lobster dresses and Skeleton dresses, shoes and hats and hats with "mutton chutter", suits with "pockets-chests" and pudraders in the form of a telephone disk.
Decorations and accessories couture paid great attention. Bracelets made of metal and fur, buttons in the shape of candlesticks, crickets and tambourines, transparent necklaces with images of cockroaches and bedbugs were amazed and shocked.
Skiap's work instantly turned into hits, but not all fashion guards had the courage to wear them. For example, the dress "Tears" with a print of authorship was given imitated animal skins, turned inside out.
Elsa Skiaparelli first colleagues used lightning on clothes as a decorative element. One of the creators rushed-a-port created things not only for rich fashionrooms, but also for less secured clients, replacing expensive silk and fur with synthetic tissues. The first began to give names to collections, turning the presentation in the show, resembling the current modes of the mod.
Skiap - the pioneer of the industry, which appealing not only for the silhouettes, but also on the quality of the fabric. Tree bark, fastened paper, wrinkled viscose and plush with a burning print - so looked her know-how. Couturier came up with "shocking pink" - the color to which the pink diamond Daisy Fellowes inspired.
Skiaparelli House decline fell to post-war 1950s. The last collection was published in 1953. The house closed in 1954, when he returned to the business rival of the Great Italian Coco Chanel.
In 2007, the brand acquired the compatriot Skiap Diego Della Valle. In 2014, Christian Lacraua in memory of the great designer presented his own collection.
Death
Elsa Skiaparelli died in two decades after the release of the last collection at the age of 83. What caused death is unknown.
Queen of the print and "shocking pink" daughter and two granddaughters buried in a silk costume of the same color. So Taught Couturier.
In 2014, Zhivani, with the help of granddaughter Skiap Marisi published the book "Personal Album Elzy Skiaparelli", where rare photos from the family archive of the famous grandmother appeared.