Daniel Roseberry’s past collection, presented during Haute Couture Week earlier this year, divided opinions: on the one hand, there were those who argued that the depictions of animal heads that Schiaparelli integrated into its designs were full-fledged artistic expressions, and even celebrated the use of synthetic materials in their construction; on the other hand, there were those who claimed that Roseberry’s creations perpetuated and exalted the use of animals as trophies. “The amount of hatred and negativity and anger, specifically from people sitting in the cheap seats of Instagram and all that kind of stuff, was a surprise,” Schiaparelli’s creative director stated. “The intention behind it was not to provoke anger… If you create according to purely what you hope won’t be a scandal, I mean, I just — I can’t do that,” he pointed out.

A month later, the creative director returns to Paris to present a ready-to-wear Fall/Winter 2023-24 collection based on the value of craftsmanship, on the celebration of the codes that have made this brand one of the most artistic. Roseberry, eager to deliver prêt-à-porter worthy of his Haute Couture, but with a lower profile, resorted to bringing back the past: a black jacket with white embroidery, matched with a cream skirt, almost perfectly recreated a signature design famously worn by Marlene Dietrich in 1937; or, how about the coat with arm warmers, brought directly from 1938 designs. With these nods, the creative director takes us by the hand to a much “simpler” Schiaparelli.

This simplicity, however, doesn’t mean that Roseberry has abandoned the codes that have placed him on the pedestal on which he stands: the golden, surreal ornaments are still there, now adapted to the everyday; the precious figures, the metallic body parts, the nature, everything remains intact and stands out among timeless pieces that transport us to the times of Elsa, to an elegance of yesteryear that fits like a glove to the Schiaparelli woman of the 21st century.

Daniel Roseberry took advantage of this fashion show to introduce the brand’s new object of desire, the Schiap bag, so named to honor the founder of the firm, as this was the nickname given to her by her closest friends. This piece, rectangular in shape with a simple leather flap closure, returns to the classic profile, to simplicity, instead of following the trends set by much more outlandish silhouettes.