Elsa Schiaparelli

Lore & Background

Elsa Schiaparelli was born at the Palazzo Corsini in Rome to an aristocratic family. Her father was a scholar of the Islamic world and Sanskrit, and her uncle was astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli. She studied philosophy at Sapienza University of Rome. As a child, she wrote a volume of poems titled Arethusa, which alarmed her parents and led them to send her to a convent boarding school in Switzerland, where she rebelled with a hunger strike. She later left home to care for orphaned children in England, but found the placement unsuitable.

In London, she married Willem de Wendt, a charismatic con man who claimed psychic powers. They moved to America in 1916, where de Wendt operated a Bureau of Psychology and came under surveillance by the Bureau of Investigation. After the birth of their daughter Maria Luisa Yvonne Radha (nicknamed 'Gogo') in 1920, de Wendt deserted the family. Schiaparelli had Gogo's surname changed to Schiaparelli and returned to France in 1922. She was divorced in 1924; de Wendt was murdered in Mexico in 1928.

In Paris, Schiaparelli relied on the support of her friend Gabrielle 'Gaby' Buffet-Picabia, wife of artist Francis Picabia, which gave her entry into Dada and Surrealist circles. She created Maison Schiaparelli in 1927. Her collections featured unconventional themes such as the human body, insects, and trompe-l'œil, and she famously used bright colors including 'shocking pink'. She collaborated with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. Her clients included heiress Daisy Fellowes and actress Mae West.

Reader's Guide

Elsa Schiaparelli is significant as a leading figure in fashion between the two World Wars, alongside her rival Coco Chanel. Her work bridged fashion and Surrealist art, introducing theatrical, artistic themes to haute couture. She pioneered the use of bold colors and unconventional motifs, influencing later designers. Her collaborations with artists like Dalí and Cocteau elevated fashion as a medium for artistic expression. Despite personal hardships—including a failed marriage to a con man, raising a daughter with polio, and managing her own business—she built a lasting legacy as an innovator. Her House of Schiaparelli, founded in 1927, remains an iconic name in fashion history.

Did You Know?

• Schiaparelli's uncle was astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, who discovered the Martian canals.
• She wrote a volume of poems titled Arethusa as a child, based on the ancient Greek myth of the hunt.
• Her husband, Willem de Wendt, was a con man who claimed psychic powers and was deported from England for fortune-telling.
• Her daughter Gogo was diagnosed with polio at 18 months old.