INSPIRATION: Chanel disdainfully referred to great rival Elsa Schiaparelli as “that Italian artist who makes clothes.” Granted, Schiaparelli (“Schiap” to friends) wasn’t a born tailor, but with a clientele that boasted Marlene Dietrich and Mae West, she remains an innovator whose broad-shouldered form-fitting suits redefined the fashionable silhouette. Responsible for breaking the barrier between art and fashion, Schiaparelli’s influence is still felt today: from thematic collections to prêt-a-porter boutiques, alongside firsts like the dinner jacket and zippers in couture garments.
Schiaparelli’s career began with innovative graphic knitwear: the 1927 “Pour le Sport” collection was famous for the trompe l’oeil sweater, a black-and-white pullover with an eye-fooling bowknot that Vogue called “an artistic masterpiece.” BR Monogram cashmere tie-neck cardigan, $275. Banana Republic (80 Bloor W., 416-515-0018,
www.bananarepublic.com).
Widely recognized for her work with the surrealists, Schiaparelli infused her “hard chic” designs with pure psychic automatist tweaks: a Jean Cocteau line drawing embroidered on a dress, an inverted shoe hat courtesy of a Salvador Dali collaboration. Jump (www.jumpcorp.com) Brash bootie, $130. Frock (97 Roncesvalles, 416-516-1333, www.frock.ca).
Schiaparelli gave the world “shocking pink” — a signature shade somewhere between fuchsia and red — that is still in use today. It was also the name of her 1936 perfume that came in a bottle inspired by Mae West’s hourglass torso (which was copied by Jean Paul Gaultier for his own torso-shaped perfume bottles). GOSH (www.goshamericas.com) Pinkie Effect Powder, $14, and Fuchsia Extreme Art Eye Liner, $16. Shoppers Drug Mart (10 Dundas E., 416-591-1733, www.shoppersdrugmart.ca).