Elsa Schiaparelli brand to be revived

[tricotineacetat]

Schiaparelli of all storied names in fashion history would have been among the last ones I had chosen to revive, if given the chance - Well, perhaps besides Azzaro…

By contrast, I find it rather upsetting that nobody until today has thought to purchase the rights of the (Madame) Grès Paris brand - Many of her iconic dresses are as modern and wearable today as they were during their release!

 

[Kanzai]

^^^I'm not quite sure by what criteria you're evaluating Schiaparelli, but in terms of historical impact, radical creativity, and artistic commitment, Elsa is not inferior to Madame Grès – in fact, she helped redefine the very concept of Haute Couture in her time.

Since when did “wearability” become the chief criterion for deciding whether a fashion house deserves revival? Haute couture, by its very nature, was never meant to be purely functional – especially in the case of a house like Schiaparelli, which was always closer to applied art than commercial dressmaking. If anything, Elsa Schiaparelli's genius lies precisely in her refusal to reduce fashion to mere utility. Like Rei Kawakubo decades later, she used clothing as a conceptual medium – not just to adorn the body, but to provoke thought, challenge convention.

Madeleine Vionnet and Paul Poiret may have been unfortunate enough to fall into relative obscurity over time, but that in no way means they are any less significant than Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion taste, after all, is subjective – and the world has never revolved around our personal preferences. Talking about Balenciaga, the crowd only remembers Demna and that child scandal in 2022, they dgaf about Cristóbal and how great he was. Sometimes, respect from within the industry is all that truly matters.

 

[susseinmcswanny]

Or we could have our own generation’s “greats” instead. Literally in 100 years if our civilization doesn’t get turned to glass what are people gonna look back on LOL. There’s gonna be no “madame gres”. There’s gonna be “chile Glenn martens chile at Margiela I live!” 🦺💥

 

[tricotineacetat]

^^^I'm not quite sure by what criteria you're evaluating Schiaparelli, but in terms of historical impact, radical creativity, and artistic commitment, Elsa is not inferior to Madame Grès – in fact, she helped redefine the very concept of Haute Couture in her time.

Since when did “wearability” become the chief criterion for deciding whether a fashion house deserves revival? Haute couture, by its very nature, was never meant to be purely functional – especially in the case of a house like Schiaparelli, which was always closer to applied art than commercial dressmaking. If anything, Elsa Schiaparelli's genius lies precisely in her refusal to reduce fashion to mere utility. Like Rei Kawakubo decades later, she used clothing as a conceptual medium – not just to adorn the body, but to provoke thought, challenge convention.

Madeleine Vionnet and Paul Poiret may have been unfortunate enough to fall into relative obscurity over time, but that in no way means they are any less significant than Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion taste, after all, is subjective – and the world has never revolved around our personal preferences. Talking about Balenciaga, the crowd only remembers Demna and that child scandal in 2022, they dgaf about Cristóbal and how great he was. Sometimes, respect from within the industry is all that truly matters.

That‘s not the point I was trying to make. When we look at the pieces constantly referenced in fashion history from Schiaparelli, there is no denial about their significance in fashion history - especially their given context.

A whole other evaluation is whether or not a historic name from the 20th century still has a resonance in today‘s time, decades after it‘s closure.

Schiaparelli can currently hold it‘s place as the go-to destination for eccentric red carpet dressing after a long trial and error period that would have had other new ventures close before it enjoyed it‘s first moment unter Roseberry. It had equal parts to do with finding the right designer but also one that would be able to put this tricky legacy into a compelling vision for today - By contrast, putting a 1960ies cocoon shaped Balenciaga coat, a Fortuny Delphos or a Grès pleated jersey gown on a woman of today can be a straight forward job without the necessity of heavy modification of proportions. The original designs aged well not to feel dated when brought back to life decades after.

 

[rip_ian curtis]

Schiaparelli of all storied names in fashion history would have been among the last ones I had chosen to revive, if given the chance - Well, perhaps besides Azzaro…

By contrast, I find it rather upsetting that nobody until today has thought to purchase the rights of the (Madame) Grès Paris brand - Many of her iconic dresses are as modern and wearable today as they were during their release!

There was some kind of attempt to revive the brand in the early 2000s. I have no idea who was behind it but Koji Tatsuno was the designer. There are some images online, though to me the pieces look a bit too complicated for Grès.

 

[tricotineacetat]

There was some kind of attempt to revive the brand in the early 2000s. I have no idea who was behind it but Koji Tatsuno was the designer. There are some images online, though to me the pieces look a bit too complicated for Grès.

Right, I was trying to find those images but somehow lost track about it. All I know is that there are still some obscure references from Grès Paris existing in the Far East - I thought that practice had long since ended, much in the way that Ghesquiere started out as a designer in the liscensing department of Balenciaga.

Thanks for mentioning it!

 

[Nimsay]

People have been calling for a Schiaparelli revival since the mid-2000s. It finally happened - mostly because someone from that era got the money to make it real.

Honestly, Schiap was probably the most famous out of business designer brand. With all the goodwill behind it, you’d think they’d be a much bigger force by now. But years in, they’re still struggling to land a credible ready-to-wear offering.

 

[squilliam]

Personally, I've never been excited for brand revivals (and some continuations). Most of them never work out, and the ones that do usually end up having little to do with the original designer. The current Balmain has nothing in common with the old one, Nina Ricci is a mess, Mugler is stuck around one look and color, and Lanvin seems to have been forgotten. Vionnet and Patou were alright but it made little sense to revive them. House of Worth was revived for a short period (pretty sure a red dress Effie wears in the second Hunger Games movie is from that revival), but the designs didn't really match the tone of the original brand. Then you have something like Balenciaga, that's now mainly known for a scandal and a questionable aesthetic instead being the house of a once great couturier who left a huge mark on fashion. Even Schiaparelli, as successful as it is now, I think has strayed a lot from its original codes. It was a modern, playful, and colorful brand that now looks dated, uptight, and beige.
As for Madame Grés, I think the brand's concept would be too limiting. Rabanne has had this problem too, all those chainmail dresses quickly became repetitive and the codes had to be expanded.

 

[jeanclaude]

I think the problem is that you need someone as talented and passionate about design, as Madame Grès, to make those kind of dresses.

And we are in a generation of designers (and executives) that are only willing to print "GRÈS PARIS" on a t-shirt to make quick money...