You can’t have couture without Schiaparelli — it’s as simple as that. Daniel Roseberry once again set the tone for Paris Couture Week with Icarus, his latest collection for the Maison. The myth of the waxen-winged dreamer who dared to defy gravity felt like an apt metaphor for Roseberry himself. But if Icarus fell, this collection soared — higher and brighter than ever.
Set in the magnificent gilded halls of the Petit Palais, models moved like characters preparing for a theatrical masterpiece. Among them were Kendall Jenner, Mona Tougaard, and Alex Consani, making her Schiaparelli runway debut. Fluid, Art Deco-inspired silhouettes, reimagined Schiaparelli jackets, and corsetry so seamless it could have been sculpted, floated around the carpeted runway. Luxurious details elevated these designs: feathers treated to glisten like liquid, and ‘leather satin’ with a tactile richness that begged to be touched.
Roseberry’s creative process this season drew heavily from antique 1920s and 1930s ribbons — he’s always had a knack for blending eras, but this season, his time machine was in overdrive. There were whispers of the 1920s in curvilinear Art Deco shapes, nods to the 50s in sweeping A-line skirts, and a sly wink at the 90s with bias-cut columns. It’s as if he rummaged through a century of fashion’s best moments and distilled them into something entirely new — and entirely him.
The influence of Elsa Schiaparelli herself was unmistakable in the structured tops and intricate dresses that nodded to her iconic 1930s creations. But Roseberry’s gaze wasn’t fixed solely on the Maison’s history. Yves Saint Laurent, Alaïa, Madame Grès, and even the father of haute couture, Frederik Worth, all left their fingerprints on this collection.
At its core, this collection served as Roseberry’s rebuttal to the notion that minimalism equals modernism. For him, couture is about reaching for impossible heights — without fear of falling. And with Icarus, he’s shown that aiming high doesn’t mean you crash; sometimes, it means you redefine how far couture can go.
Discover the collection here.
photography. Schiaparelli
words. Gennaro Costanzo