Elsa Schiaparelli

            
             Associations with the obscure paintings of Salvador Dali are usually made to surrealist art, not fashion. These are common thoughts that do not break the barriers of creativity; however, Elsa Schiaparelli was able to defy these barriers by creating clothing as outlandish as Salvador Dali's paintings, and in some cases using his art as a backbone of a piece. Her fashion has become an inspiration among designers and women alike, creating new boundaries for feminine fashion around the world and ingraining thoughts of equality within the minds of women. Elsa Schiaparelli became a leader among women by using fashion as a medium to encourage, inspire, and enlighten women across the world. .
             Born in 1890, Elsa Schiaparelli was a defiant during her childhood while always trying to impress her parents and family members. Her first brush with creative fashion was at a ball in Paris where Schiaparelli wore nothing but fabric wrapped around her body, while it unraveled. She married at the age of 18 to a theosophist named William de Wendt de Kerlor. They traveled together throughout the world and ended in America. Their daughter was born and at this point she was abandoned by Kerlor. She returned to Paris with her child to restart her life (Bawa). .
             She tried to obtain a job with designers throughout the area, but all attempts were unsuccessful except for an attempt in 1928 where she drew a design of a black sweater with a bow around the neck. The designer Mainbocher enjoyed the design and featured it in a magazine and buyers began to order Schiaparelli's design. She was happy with the reaction her designs received and hired help to knit the sweaters and her company "Schiap" began. Schiap created clothing for sports players including reversible clothing, which were shown in Vogue in 1929 (Bawa). .
             Within the next year, Schiaparelli began to create day and evening wear for women. .
             She began to experiment with unusual materials that were not normally used with fashion.