Schiaparelli Spring 2024 Couture Collection: A Stunning Futuristic Collection; Star-Studded Attendance Stuns Fashion Week

For Schiaparelli’s spring 2024 haute couture show, creative director Daniel Roseberry was the mastermind behind the extraterrestrial homage to Elsa Schiaparelli’s uncle Giovanni Schiaparelli, the director of the Brera Observatory in Milan, who had discovered a series of channels on the expansive landscape of Mars, with an area as large as the Grand Canyon in 1877. He had also coined the term “martian”, thus, triggering the onset of a celestial legacy that is awe-inspiring to date.

Daniel is, in no doubt, the king of the haute couture season this year. The otherworldly range perfectly captures the essence of a Martian aesthetic, making it a bold and avant-garde statement in the world of high fashion. Roseberry’s creativity knows no bounds, and this collection is a testament to his ability to seamlessly blend history, science, and couture. “As art and nature teach us, seemingly opposing elements can converge to birth astonishing chimaeras,” asserts creative director Daniel Roseberry.” Daniel delves deeper into his distinct approach to traditional silhouettes while simultaneously seamlessly intertwining personal iconography with Maison’s heritage.

His masterpiece is conceptualized into the aptly named line, “Schiparellian”, rendering a mish-mash of the rustic antique and hyper-modernism, bordering on futuristic undertones. Daniel Roseberry’s previous spring 2023 collection seemed to pay homage to Elsa Schiaparelli herself, a woman who loved animals and was known for at least one hat that boasted a cheetah’s face. Roseberry, then, continued on in the tradition of the historic house, sending three different animals down the runway.The creatures come from Dante’s Inferno, the three animals he meets on his journey, which represent the three divisions of hell and the sins of greed, lust, and pride, respectively. 

A Dissection Of The Schiaparelli Spring Collection

The historic house teased chic spectators with a juxtaposition of tradition and modernity. In fact, the very show notes have it scribbled down that the historic house’s latest contribution to the stiff couture world is a “study in contradiction,” particularly that between the old and new worlds.

A Celestial Legacy

Taking things in a more literal direction, the collection dove headfirst into otherworldly. alien outlines, fabrics and textures, a nod to “Martians,” the term coined by Elsa Schiaparelli’s uncle Giovanni. Guests were even sent an invite to the show that resembled a Schiaparelli version of The Golden Record, which was placed aboard the Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1977.

Texan Roots Highlighted

The collection makes nods to Roseberry’s home state of Texas, with bandanas, constructed from hand-made paillettes, and thigh-high cowboy boots. Heavy Western-style buckles were juxtaposed with patent sculpted materials; excessive fringe swayed and rocked, deserving of its very own slow-mo camera, rustic old Hollywood elements like horse-braid dressage knots covering a camel suede bomber jacket and a white denim corset in silk satin can be seen in some of the statement pieces . Finishing off the line, Elsa’s signatures — the keyhole, the measuring tape, the body parts — are scattered throughout the extraterrestrial collection.

Still, the designer has managed to master his own system of contradictions, despite having at hand two worlds which couldn’t be more different from each other. Antiquated techniques, like over-embroidered guipure laces, velvet appliqués and hand-cut chenille fringe, are juxtaposed with new-age motifs, such as motherboards and microchips (which compose the entirety of a technological dress, as well as a space-age baby). On display, here, is the tension between “legacy” and “avant-garde,” “earthbound” and “heaven-sent.”

The backs of dresses in particular demonstrated the stunning craftsmanship for which couture is known: There were funnel collars that laced up to the back of the neck like corsets; armor-like silver spines that stretched towards the audience, and layers upon layers of fringe. As much as Roseberry has cemented surrealism as a feature of the brand and brought it to the forefront of fashion, he’s also set a high standard for wildly interesting fashion from every angle.

If all of that wasn’t proof enough of a dazzling runway show, one only had to listen to the whooping cheers at the end of the show, when the audience gave a rousing standing ovation—a rarity in the buttoned-up world of haute couture. Roseberry called it “a motherboard-and-Strasse microchip dress encrusted with pre-2007 technological artefacts—now, the technology I grew up with is so antiquated that it’s almost as difficult to source as certain vintage fabrics and embellishments.”

A Star-Studded Attendance

The morning’s runway show—attended by the likes of Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, and J.Lo—took place inside the Petite Palais in Paris, where the central visual theme revolved around the stars and explorations of space, an ode to Giovanni.

It is difficult to forget statement pieces like Kylie Jenner‘s prosthetic lion head sat atop a slinky black maxi dress and Doja Cat (who arguably had the most impressive set of looks for the week) who stepped out at Schiaparelli adorned in 30,000 red Swarovski last season. This season is no different, with floor-length dresses sculpted and curved to the high heavens, with angles that felt intrinsically out of this world. Playing with old-world ideas and artefacts against the backdrop of haute couture, one of the most deliciously shocking gowns was composed of a collage of circuit boards, cell phones, and Y2K technology.

Zendaya made a chic appearance at the Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2024 show in Place Vendôme during Paris Fashion Week on Monday, where she unveiled a striking new hairstyle.

The star of Euphoria debuted her fresh short, choppy bangs and sleek, straight locks as she stepped out for the stylish outing. She also chose to wear a striking and dramatic all-black outfit consisting of a high-neck top and a ruched satin skirt with an elegant long train. To complete the look, she added black pointed pumps and sheer black tights for accessories. Just last month, she rocked an avant-garde creation by Schiaparelli’s designers at the Comic Con Experience São Paulo in Brazil. This outfit had originally made its debut at Schiaparelli’s Spring 2024 Ready-to-Wear show.

Zendaya had some notable company at the show, as her Euphoria co-star Hunter Schafer and singer/actress Jennifer Lopez were also in attendance, demonstrating their support for the fashion house. Jennifer chose this custom Schiaparelli look, which featured a jacket made of 7,000 real rose petals watered with “hummingbird nectar,” a.k.a. sugar water.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers actress, was dressed in a sleek all-black ensemble and a silver clutch with Schiaparelli’s signature eyes motif.