By Pénélope Flouret
Edited by Sofia Gobin
Technology dresses, overarching bodices, oversized buckles, bedazzled face masks and ears, curved heels, and tassels took center stage at Schiaparelli’s Spring 2024 Haute Couture show. Personally, I have still not recovered from Schiaparelli’s last spring show, where Kylie Jenner wore the infamous black dress with the lifelike lion head poking out from the side. I’m embarrassed to admit it… but that was the first time I had ever cared to pay attention to a Schiaparelli show, and now, a year later, I’m writing an article about this season’s looks; I call that growth everyone.
My first thought was, is that a real baby? Scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw model Maggie Maurer cradling what looked like a bedazzled, wire-covered human baby as she strutted down the runway. The rest of the internet thought so as well, that the popular fashion Instagram account StyleNotCom had to verify with Daniel Roseberry, Schiaparelli’s Creative Director, that it was, in fact, not a baby but a robot. Everyone’s favorite Euphoria duo, Hunter Schafer and Zendaya, reunited as they sat front row together.
I couldn’t focus on the rest of Hunter’s outfit as I was enthralled by her necklace. The bronze flower stem delicately wrapped around her neck, with the gold flower in the front, making a statement for itself. Could it be any more perfect? Before the runway came alive, Universal Studios‘ infamous fanfare played through the speakers, an homage to Elsa Schiaparelli’s uncle, who was the director of the Brera Observatory in Milan. Elsa Schiaparelli, the house’s founder, had an immense passion for astrology, a theme Daniel Roseberry wanted to highlight. During the show, music from everyone’s favorite movies, like Top Gun and Oppenheimer, played as the models strutted down the runway.
The fashion show had no dull moment, with each look surpassing the last. Roseberry’s favorite theme this year is the overarching bodices, presenting not one but five runway looks, each uniquely cut and with different patterns. Some were embedded with crystals, while others were all black and adorned with white tassels.
When I first saw this look of black puff sleeves and a sparkly bandana-esque pattern, my first impression was it looked like a mix between cowboy and conquistador. I wasn’t far off as Roseberry drew inspiration from his Southern roots as a proud Texan. This influence led to a runway full of statement belts and reptile-skinned inspired buckled chaps.
However, what truly caught my eye was the bedazzled ear with a green droplet, a recurring element on multiple models throughout the show. I still can’t tell if it’s an avant-garde earring or a bedazzled ear. It turns out that with the help of makeup artist Pat McGrath and his team, they painted tiny crystals on the models’ ears, which took around three hours. This is similar to singer Doja Cat’s infamous all-red-crystalized look from last season that took five hours.
Another one of my favorite looks is the pink and black tight silhouette dress that playfully poofs out at the bottom. Ears poking out from the back evoked the energy of the iconic Playboy bunny, though whether that was Roseberry’s intention remains uncertain. The silver-encrusted ear makes a reappearance in this look as well. The curved heel was also one of my favorite details from the show.
Roseberry seemed really into the futuristic element, especially regarding AI, including it in his show as a model walked through with a dress full of battery wires, vintage cell phones, calculators, and microchips – similar to what the baby robot was wearing. Overall, this Schiaparelli was one for the books, as Roseberry produced never-before-seen looks and ideas that are just another example of how much fashion and the rules of the fashion game are evolving and the daring nature of fashion as the seasons pass.
I can confirm that this show and it’s bold looks and innovative concepts have officially replaced Kylie Jenner’s lion dress in my mind; now, it’s the robot baby that’s taken its place.
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