Schiaparelli

Daniel Roseberry’s latest couture collection marked a departure from his overt and often campily outrageous takes on Surrealism of seasons past. Instead, the collection he showed was opulent and glamorous in an Eighties way. There was a strictness to the silhouette—in the strong, sharp shoulders, the severe cuts, the snatched waists—and in the colour palette, composed mainly of black, white and gold. This new approach of glamour first and Surrealism second was an interesting evolution for Roseberry, though the surreal flourishes one expects from the House were still there: The hats that floated a couple inches off the head; the miniature doves perched on the shoulders of a jacket; the chandelier earrings the size of chandeliers; or the gowns cut away to reveal one breast sprouting a single bloom. Roseberry’s fascination with the human anatomy remained too, though translated in more subtle ways such as a black ribcage bustier, a little white jacket molded into the female figure complete with breasts, and a jewelled heart glittering on a bare collarbone. Roseberry also paid homage to the great couturiers of the Eighties, most notably Christian Lacroix, who was himself endlessly inspired by Elsa. The Lacroix influence was writ large in the extravagant poufs and whorls of taffeta, the exaggerated matador hats, and the exquisite bursts of 3D flowers. The craftsmanship that went into those blooms were particularly stunning, especially when they spilled forth from busts like the most fantastical floral arrangements.