Wolves, lions and snow leopards: how the Schiaparelli couture show went and why the brand is on the verge of scandal

Couture Fashion Week started today in Paris. And it started with an incredibly beautiful Schiaparelli show. This time around, the brand’s creative director, Daniel Roseberry, was inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, and the collection itself was named Inferno.

Kylie Jenner, Doja Cat, Anna Wintour, and a whole galaxy of first-class guests sat proudly in the front row, while models literally glided down the runway in ornate shield tops, hourglass suits, and voluminous lace jackets. But the show’s most controversial moment was the appearance of Irina Shayk, Naomi Campbell, and Shalom Harlow. Three legendary models received dresses with artificial animal heads.

Of course there was no scandal. After the show, the brand was attacked by an army of animal rights activists who accused Schiaparelli of romanticizing animal cruelty. Even the post, in which the team explained that no animals were harmed in creating the heads of the lion, wolf, and snow leopard, failed to save. Negative comments keep coming in from all sides.

Even industry representatives are divided into two camps. The first is of the opinion that the animal world is the main motif of the house, which was handled not only by Elsa Schiaparelli, but also by former creative director Bertrand Guyon. He ordered dog, panther and flamingo hats from legendary hatter Stephen Jones for his 2019 couture collection.

As for the founder of the brand, in 1938 he introduced a lynx fur coat and a hat on his head.

But the latter believes any stuffed animal clue is a terrible sin and an unforgivable design decision. Although it is used as a reference to Dante’s Divine Comedy mentioned above. For those who don’t know, let me explain. The events in the epic are narrated by the author in first person, and in the introduction, the poet tells how, in the middle of his life, he got lost in a dense forest, where he met three wild animals – a lynx. , a lion and a she-wolf. Each animal personified the three strongest passions – lust, pride and greed. Therefore, Irina Shayk – a lioness, Naomi Campbell – a wolf, and Shalom Harlow – a snow leopard appeared on the podium.

And here the question arises. Does this mean that in the modern world, creators have to sacrifice complex references to please the general public who might be offended by just about anything that doesn’t quite understand it? Only a philosopher can answer this partially rhetorical question. And this is not a fact. Therefore, we suggest you take a break from unnecessary thoughts and take a fresh look at the Daniel Roseberry collection. We have collected all 32 images in our gallery.

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