Sweater

Elsa Schiaparelli|Jean Clemént

1938–40 · wool · Costume Institute

Elsa Schiaparelli's first collection in 1927 featured several sporty sweaters that set the tone for her future Surrealist-tinted collections. Many featured trompe l'oeil bows, collars and cuffs. She continued to provide casual, sporty options even ten years later, such as this vibrant fuchsia sweater. The design incorporates trompe l'oeil in the geometric embroidered accents, as they seem to be ornaments that are sewn on, but are in fact an integral part of the design. The buttons add another layer of dimension, as they are the same color and general shape as the embroidery, but stand away from the surface of the sweater. They are stamped with Schiaparelli's own form of branding, an "S."

Artist

Elsa Schiaparelli|Jean Clemént

Date

1938–40

Medium

wool

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1954