The couturière Elsa Schiaparelli (1890 1973) was a keyfigure in Paris fashion between the two World Wars.Following in the footsteps of her mentor Paul Poiret, shedesigned her first knitwear collection in January 1927.Decorated with trompe-l' il motifs in black and white, hersweaters were an immediate success in both France andthe USA. In 1935, the Maison Schiaparelli opened in thePlace Vendôme in Paris, selling collections designed forsports, city and evening wear.Like her arch-rival Gabrielle Chanel, Schiaparellialso worked closely with artists, including Man Ray, JeanCocteau and Salvador Dalí, with whom she created alobster dress. Taking a cue from Surrealism, her creationswere hugely imaginative and made use of innovative newmaterials. The Schiap' style continued to develop throughthe 1930s. Her most famous collections had themesincluding the circus (summer 1938) and astrology (winter1938 39). In 1937, Schiaparelli launched the fragranceShocking, named after shocking pink, which had becomeher signature colour.Alongside vintage photographs, sketches andcontemporary features from Harper's Bazaar andVogue, this volume presents specially photographedmasterpieces from the collection of the Musée des ArtsDécoratifs in Paris. All 120 garments and accessoriesfrom the Schiaparelli archive are illustrated, along witha selection of her drawings dating from 1933 to 1953