Suit
Schiaparelli chose realistic beetles and other insects to decorate jewelry, buttons, and suit collars for her fall 1938 nature-based "Pagan" collection. The collection referenced the lush imagery of flora and fauna and mythological figures represented in the two great paintings by Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510), "The Birth of Venus" (1485) and "Primavera" (1485). The vividly printed rayon crepe and translucent blue plastic buttons are statements of Schiaparelli's preference for manmade rather than natural materials.
Artwork Details
- Title: Suit
- Design House: Schiaparelli (French, founded 1927)
- Designer: Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973)
- Date: fall 1938
- Culture: French
- Medium: rayon, plastic (cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate)
- Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. J.R. Keagy, 1974
- Object Number: 1974.338.5a, b
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
More Artwork
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Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli
fall/winter 1937–38
Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli
summer 1940
Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli
1936–37
Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli
fall 1937
Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli
ca. 1938
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