the Italian ELSA SCHIAPARELLI was one of the most innovative couturiers of the 20th Century. An autodidact in fashion design, she began her business in Paris in 1927 with the encouragement of her friend Paul Poiret. She became best known for her collaborations with surrealist artists like Salvador Dali, pablo picasso, horst p horst and many others.  Around 1954 Elsa noted that the world of Haute-Couture had changed and decided to close her Couture House. She died in her sleep in 1973.

the first haute couture runway show since 1954, is presented  in January 2014, during Paris Haute Couture week. in april 2015 Bertrand Guyon is appointed as design director in charge of Haute Couture and Prêt-à-Couture collections.

left image is a clutch from fall winter collection 2015. right image Hands are painted by Picasso to resemble gloves, and photographed by Man Ray, 1935, courtesy of  man ray trust / adagp, paris 2016.

The painted hands form image above inspired Elsa Schiaparelli to create the famous black gloves with nails in red python from blog page. She then expanded this idea with gloves with golden claws, rings on the fingers, or with gathers forming trompe-l’oeil scars.