Evening Dress (Circus Collection)

Schiaperelli’s ‘circus collection’ was first shown on February 4, 1938 while the world exposition was being held in Paris. Of all Schiaparelli’s collections, this is recognized as being one of her most creative, and in her autobiography she describes it as being ‘the most interesting, the most chic’.
The work shown here can be used as both a daytime and evening dress. The material is covered in motifs derived from the circus, the bold subjects and use of color resemble that of a child and make the work stand out. The textile design was handled by the artist Marcel Vertés, a surrealist artist who collaborated with Schiaparelli in her work, as did Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau. The sense of fun that was evident in her designs and which often shocked the viewer sprang from the friendly relations she enjoyed with the surrealists. The shocking pink that she uses here was often employed in her ‘startling’ clothes and could be said to be her symbol color.