Schiaparelli serves up food for thought on Haute Couture runway with Olivia Palermo and Kate Bosworth sitting front row
Floor-length gowns embroidered with coffee cups and broaches fashioned from potatoes were on the menu at couture week in Paris this morning as the house of Schiaparelli unveiled its latest collection.
Taking the notion of feasting as a starting point, the house - currently in the charge of French fashion designer Bertrand Guyon - looked to the idea of taste as a means to inspire artistry. The designer also sought to explore the joy of dining as a signifier of a truly opulent lifestyle.
For the clothes - which will be available to customers on a made to order basis - this meant everything from boxy tweed jackets embroidered with afternoon tea trays to a striking cherry print gown.
Keen to inject humour into the collection, Guyon also unveiled cherry nipple tassles and giant puff ball tulle gown that bore more than a passing resemblance to a bowl of strawberry blancmange.
While for the most part, this collection struggled to find relevance to the modern day couture consumer, there were occasional moments when contemporary elegance came to the fore - namely with a series of a-line etheral gowns that reminded couture fans of Guyon’s design pedigree.
A former Valentino designer, Guyon arrived at Schiaparelli last year with designs on blending the iconography of made iconic by Elsa Schiaparelli with an approach that appeals to 21st Century women.
Schiaparelli, who was born in Rome in 1890, would undoubtedly have approved of Guyon’s fashion pedigree. However, as one of fashion’s most loved pioneers, she may have struggled with the designer’s reluctance to plough his own path.
While all of the tried and tested Schiaparelli design codes - from the shocking pink gowns to the lobster print trimmings - were present in this show, it lacked in original ideas.
Since its relaunch in 2012 following investment by luxury mogul Diego Della Valle, Schiaparelli has struggled to find a groove or indeed, a loyal customer base.
Guyon might want to look ahead to the future instead of into the history books if he is to change that.
ArticleSchiaparelli serves up food for thought on Couture runwayHaute CoutureElsa SchiaparelliBertrand GuyonSchiaparelliSchiaparelli Haute Couture SS16
Schiaparelli Haute Couture SS16
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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Kate Bosworth poses ahead of the show
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Christian Louboutin attended alongside Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
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Olivia Palermo sat on the show's front row
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Anna Wintour was also in attendance
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Kate Botworth poses at the showcase
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Olivia Palermo poses ahead of the show
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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A model walks the Haute Couture SS16 runway
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Former Valentino designer Guyon arrived at Schiaparelli last year with designs to appeal to 21st Century women
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