A New Vision for Schiaparelli
Daniel Roseberry, the creative director of Schiaparelli, posed a thought-provoking question in his Parisian atelier: “What does it mean to show the most extraordinary clothes on Planet Earth on Monday, July 7th, at 10 a.m.?” The answer came through a recent haute couture show in Paris, where Roseberry reimagined the archives of the brand’s founder, Elsa Schiaparelli, from the 1920s and ’30s. He transformed them into modern pieces such as sharp, embroidered black jackets, bias-cut chiffon dresses, matador pants, and a sculpted, fetishistic saddle dress.
Since joining the historic brand in 2019, Roseberry has revitalized the traditional craft of creating custom clothing for wealthy clients. His approach brings the entire world of contemporary culture into the realm of couture, from reality stars to social media trends and the billionaire class. Fashion enthusiasts from Mumbai to Mississippi, many of whom will never purchase a six-figure gown, eagerly follow photos of celebrities like Kylie Jenner in a lion’s head dress or Bella Hadid in a golden-lung necklace.
More than just clothing, Roseberry creates memorable moments that resonate with fashion lovers around the globe. Every weekday, he walks from his home in the 7th arrondissement to Schiaparelli’s headquarters on Place Vendôme. For him, working there is akin to a Wes Anderson fantasy. The labyrinthine space, once used by Elsa Schiaparelli, was acquired by the Della Valle family of the Tod’s Group in 2006. Although the brand has not been formally integrated into the Tod’s Group, it maintains a presence in Paris, Monaco, Dubai, and major retailers such as Harrods in London, Bergdorf Goodman in New York, and Neiman Marcus in Los Angeles. Plans are underway to expand further into other cities.
This week, the brand announced an upcoming exhibition titled “Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art,” set to open at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in March 2026.
Roseberry, who previously worked at Thom Browne, had no experience in a couture atelier when he joined Schiaparelli. The brand presents two couture and two ready-to-wear shows annually. Growing up in Plano, Texas, in the 1990s and early 2000s, he developed his fashion sense by watching Joan Rivers and Steve Kmetko host red-carpet shows, where Björk famously wore a swan dress that hatched an egg.
He aimed to bring the pop-culture energy of the American red carpet to Schiaparelli couture. This vision led to celebrities such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Kim Kardashian wearing his designs. While celebrities remain part of the scene, they are less central than before. At the spring 2023 couture show, Kylie Jenner wore the lion’s head dress in the front row while the same design appeared on the runway. Roseberry noted that while this idea felt revolutionary two years ago, it is no longer the focus of his work.
The most viral moment of this week’s show came not from celebrities like Dua Lipa or Cardi B, who posed with a live crow, but from a red dress featuring sculpted breasts on the back, cradling a Dalí-inspired necklace that pulsed like a beating heart. The red rhinestones are mounted on mesh around a mechanism that pumps 60 beats per minute, matching the resting human heart rate. It charges using an iPhone USB charger.
For Roseberry, paying attention to the back of a garment carries deep meaning. During lockdown, he realized the importance of the front of clothing due to screen-based communication. Now, he focuses on highlighting the hidden aspects of garments. He finds it frustrating when people use their phones during his shows, but he is delighted by these less capturable details.
These unique pieces have become highly desirable among Schiaparelli’s dedicated couture clients, including Swedish creative director and philanthropist Fredrik Robertsson, who hopes to acquire the beating-heart necklace and the breast dress made into a top. The brand has not disclosed the prices of its pieces. During the show, couture clients begin texting their salespeople with orders, which are managed according to a complex hierarchy. No one knows exactly where they stand in the pecking order of museums, royalty, or even celebrities like Katy Perry.
“It’s ‘The Hunger Games,’” said Roseberry, describing the intensity of his clients’ enthusiasm. Unlike some brands that only maintain a part-time couture atelier, Schiaparelli’s is fully booked year-round, churning out orders. Clients can order not only current pieces but also archival designs customized to their preferences.
Glamazon billionaire bride Lauren Sánchez Bezos brought the brand to an even bigger stage when she wore a gold strapless embroidered gown from Schiaparelli’s spring 2025 couture collection to her pre-wedding dinner in Venice last month. Roseberry admitted he was unprepared for the level of coverage the gown received. “She bought that gown. And I think that speaks to the secret power of Schiaparelli—that we’ve never paid anyone to wear the clothes. People wear the clothes because they want to.”
