Seasonal Schiap

Elsa Schiaparelli and Marcel Vertès

Some of the most enduring images of Elsa Schiaparelli’s career stemmed from her advertisements. Artist and frequent collaborator Marcel Vertès was assigned to create the ones that appeared in print, resulting in a fantastical array of colour, fantasy, glamour, and—in this example—seasonal cheer.

Vertès (10 August 1895 – 31 October 1961) was a French painter, costume designer, and illustrator of Hungarian-Jewish origins known for his advertising collaborations with Schiaparelli and the man responsible for her “Shocking de Schiaparelli” perfume campaign. Vertès originally moved to Paris to study at the Académie Julian and soon known for his lithographs and drawings of “Parisian street scenes, nude portraits of women, and images of circus and cabaret acts that encapsulate the vibrancy of the 1920s.” He was also responsible for the murals in two New York City hotels: the original murals in the Café Carlyle in the Carlyle Hotel, and the ones in Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria.

In 1952, Schiaparelli and Vertès collaborated on John Huston’s Moulin Rouge, with Schiap responsible for Zsa Zsa Gabor’s gowns and Vertès working on the general costumes and set design. Vertès would win the Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design (Schiap, meanwhile, went away empty-handed.)

Enjoy these few gorgeous examples of Vertès seasonal work for Schiap.