Evening blouse

Elsa Schiaparelli

summer 1940 · silk, metal · Costume Institute

Schiaparelli often used embroidery to embellish her simple silhouettes. This evening blouse from the summer 1940 collection, one of the last before Schiaparelli was forced to leave Paris because of World War II, is an exquisite example of that tendency. Originally in her signature color, Shocking pink, the delicate pearl bead, silk floss and metallic embroidery is reminiscent of the thistle. Schiaparelli owned a house and operated a branch store during the 1930s in London, and she often used fabrics from British companies in her collections, as well as Scottish references, such as tam-o-shanter hats. The stylized embroidery on this blouse expresses her fondness for Scotland in a sophisticated fashion.

Artist

Elsa Schiaparelli

Date

summer 1940

Medium

silk, metal

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, 1955