This modern-day fashion maverick, hailing from the US, creates breathtakingly surreal clothes that redefine the norm for the contemporary era. Visualize a piece from his recent Haute-Couture collection - a Crêpe wool gown consisting of two panels of "Gazellenhorn" fabric, embellished with golden Lamé thread, golden beads, gold-polished beads, handcrafted golden tassels, Swarovski Shiqi crystals, and rhinestones. The beast's horns boast an accompanying diadem, while below them rest two breast-shaped buttons made of gold-plated brass.
This is far from what Daniel Roseberry refers to as "cookie-cutter fashion." It's something extraordinary, indeed.
Witness Schiaparelli Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2022.
Schiaparelli Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2022.
These garments are voluminous, sporting exaggerated shoulders with luxury materials and intricate details warranting special attention, such as distinctive ornaments commonly known as "jewels," taking the shape of eyes, noses, hands, and lips. The result? Even more stunning thanks to its surrealistic undertones and almost perverse sharpness.
At first, it may seem challenging to imagine that such revolutionary designs stem from a reserved, native Texan who happily spends most of his year residing in Maine. Born and bred in Texas, he's content with life in Maine and designed everything right there.
"My life, my personality, and my emotional reality were at stark contrast with the work I wanted to showcase," he revealed during an interview in his Paris studio on Place Vendôme, before the unveiling of his new collection.
When Daniel Roseberry was appointed artistic director of Schiaparelli at just 33-years-old, he became the first and, to date, only American to head a French fashion house. Little-known at the time, he had completed studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and worked under Thom Browne for ten years. He held the required qualifications, but omitted any experience in leading a luxury fashion house, lacked formal Haute-Couture training, and was void of French linguistics.
Questioning the heritage of Schiaparelli's illustrious founder, Elsa Schiaparelli, became unavoidable. An uncensored rebel in her time, she is often considered the most influential and transformative designer of the interwar era, rivaling only Coco Chanel's title.
The Italian aristocrat, born Schiaparelli, was mischievous in her youth and published a collection of sexual innuendo-laced poems titled "Arethusa," a name inspired by a mythological nymph. Her rebellion continued, leading to admission into a Swiss convent, followed by a quick departure following a hunger strike. She married, divorced, and moved to Paris, embracing a bohemian lifestyle and attracting a circle of artists. In 1927, she opened her own fashion house in her apartment, which quickly expanded and flourished.
Ten years later, Schiaparelli teamed up with Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali to create one of fashion history's most iconic pieces: the legendary Lobster Dress. A silk taffeta creation featured a massive lobster hanging from the bodice, embodying the avant-garde spirit of that era.
Despite her avant-garde designs, Schiaparelli did not neglect the mainstream. She graced the cover of Time Magazine in 1934, earning a special guest spot on the popular American game show "What's My Line?" Her success continued until she closed her company in 1954, resuming operations just short of seven decades later under the stewardship of businessman Diego Della Valle.
Faced with the challenge of living up to Schiaparelli's legacy, Roseberry proved unfazed. "Ignorance is bliss," he said with a shrug during an interview two months before unveiling his first collection for the brand in 2019. "When I began, I had 63 days to complete the first series, and quite honestly, I had no time to worry or have a nervous breakdown," he added. "It was so intense."
Reflecting on his fire-baptism under a cloud of uncertainty in his first years at the label, a testing time punctuated only by the Covid-19 pandemic, Roseberry still radiates optimism. "It's interesting," he mused, "I could lose sleep over attending parties I'd like to attend, but I never lose sleep over my work. I feel very comfortable with what I do."
Embracing his American identity, Roseberry revealed, "Being an American gives me a unique perspective, and maybe a sense of freedom as well."
Roseberry appears to have spent considerable time researching Schiaparelli's life, her contributions to the fashion world, and her archives. He respected the brand's legacy and was determined to establish his creative voice - a new "code," as he called it.
Speaking about the exclusivity of Haute-Couture, Roseberry observed, "There's a misconception that haute couture is confined in a glass box. I've spent the past two years trying to break those walls down and truly expose the process."
Roseberry is known for being hands-on, involved from drafting the initial sketches to the final photoshoot. In the time leading up to his first show, he even walked the runway. In stark contrast to rumors of designers who rarely visited the studio, Roseberry attended frequently.
Rules? Roseberry followed none. In fact, sometimes he defied them. At his very first show, Roseberry walked the runway, making an entrance at his drafting table while models transformed his sketches into living art. This was a nod to his New York studio in Chinatown's heart, where he designed his first Schiaparelli collection sketches.
Roseberry's affinity for drafting dates back to his childhood, an artform he learned from his mother, who fostered his raw talent. Drawing had become integral to his creative process, which he now regards as the bedrock of his creativity.
Less than ten days before the U.S. President's inauguration, Roseberry received a call requesting a look for Lady Gaga to wear during her rendition of the National Anthem. Roseberry began sketching almost immediately, creating twelve outfits for the singer that day.
The chosen ensemble, a voluminous red silk dress with a fitted blue military jacket and an oversized dove brooch, was completed within days. "It was one of those moments where you realize much later the impact it would have on your career and the house," he recalled, describing it as "the honor of a lifetime."
The red and blue dress had initially been planned as an entirely white design, but Lady Gaga herself suggested the switch to red and blue, asking for a more intense color palette.
Heaven forbid Schiaparelli's history should intimidate the designer. Far from it. This young American, armed with the audacity of ignorance, has gone ahead to redefine haute couture and Schiaparelli for the modern era. After all, with creativity as your weapon, one could even imagine the world ending and still design with delight.
