Object: Suit
Designer:
Elsa Schiaparelli
(1890 - 1973)
Date: c. 1937
Medium: Wool
Country: France
Credit Line: Gift of Theodora Pierce
Object number: 87.70.1
DescriptionSuit in black wool with small red windowpane check; fitted jacket with high, wide shawl collar, four shaped flap pockets, black plastic S shaped buttons; bias cut calf length skirt with stylized waist treatment, integral belt attached in V at center front waistband, buttoning at center back
Label Text:Elsa Schiaparelli may have been best known for her whimsical approach to fashion, but her designs for tailored, functional suits were also successful. This example’s red-checked wool hints at the bold colors that characterized Schiaparelli’s palette, and the large, plastic “S” buttons emphasize her love for playful details. The suit was donated to the museum in three pieces. The suit’s skirt original waistband was removed and the jacket, though intact, had been let out at the side seams. The skillful work of a conservator restored the garments to their original silhouettes. While it is known that Vogue editor Marcella McGuane wore the suit, the reason for its alteration is unclear.
In Collection(s)
Exhibitions:
- Fashioning the Modern Woman: The Art of the Couturiere, 1919-1939
- Arbiters of Style
- Fashion Unraveled