Schiaparelli Animal Fantasia F/W 2018-19

Once upon a time there was a great magician and everything he imagined became a reality. A reality so beautiful and full of wonder that he brought utter joy to everyone. That is how we feel about Bertrand Guyon’s latest Schiaparelli Animal Fantasia F/W 2018-19!

Bertrand wanted to capture the spirit and personality of the Haute Couture’s founder, Elsa Schiaparelli. Elsa was an eclectic artist who had an imaginative sense of humor. She had a love for dogs (as she wrote her own dog’s memoir), collected trinkets and was a patron of the arts. She wore crazy hats inspired by leopard faces and rabbits. Also, she loved hot pink! We see parts of her in the entire collection from the leopard-printed poney jackets with zebra pockets. The “Shocking” look in Schiaparelli Hot pink is also part of her influence. Even the oversized portrait of Elsa on a white and black gown reminds us of the whimsical Schiaparelli Animal Fantasia.

However, we also see the modern vision that Bertrand has so seamlessly brought to Schiaparelli every season. His understanding and adoption of the brand as his own has not stopped his creativity. On the contrary, it keeps growing with each collection. In this collection, he threw us down the rabbit hole. We came out the other end in the jungle book. The mix of a fanciful dog faced mask, golden (Donnie Darko) rabbit head, and a head of flowers set off the feminine cuts. Also, flowing materials and unique textures and patterns were excitingly inspirational. The best part is that every look was made to compliment a woman perfectly. Each look accentuated the female form with Schiaparelli signature tailoring, making it akin to a stylish animal fantasia.

The details of Schiaparelli Animal Fantasia as usual are what made each look so strong. We loved the all in one gloved jackets, the cowboy inspired boots, and the many faced animal coat in cashmere. The dress in lagoon silk chiffon with embroidered pants with crab and sea shell pattern was impressive. Also, the hooded jacket in multi-colored neo-faux fur stood out.