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Shocking LIfe
The Autobiography of Elsa Schiaparelli
Brief Description
Elsa Schiaparelli sent shockwaves through the fashion establishment with her witty, ingenious and provocative designs. Lauded by Cristóbal Balenciaga as the ‘only real artist in couture’, she infused her collections with Surrealist influences and collaborated on pieces with art-world contemporaries including Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Salvador...
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Format: Hardback
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August 2026
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Shocking LIfe
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Shocking Life is a lively, idiosyncratic and fascinating account of the life and career of Elsa Schiaparelli – in her own, inimitable voice.
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Description
Elsa Schiaparelli sent shockwaves through the fashion establishment with her witty, ingenious and provocative designs. Lauded by Cristóbal Balenciaga as the ‘only real artist in couture’, she infused her collections with Surrealist influences and collaborated on pieces with art-world contemporaries including Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí and Alberto Giacometti.
She caused a stir at Wimbledon by sending Lilí Álvarez to the 1931 tennis tournament in culottes; she clothed Amy Johnson for her first solo flight to Cape Town; and her ‘lobster’ dress made it into Wallis Simpson’s trousseau.
Today, Elsa’s visual vocabulary runs through Daniel Roseberry’s designs for maison Schiaparelli like a shocking pink thread. This lavishly illustrated book explores the origins and legacy of one of fashion’s greatest innovators.
Shocking Life offers a glimpse into the mind of a legend who was both a fashion maverick and an artist. This biography is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of fashion and the future of couture.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781838510626
Publisher: V & A Publishing
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 19 February 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: V & A Publishing
Edition: New edition
Contributors:
- Foreword by Sonnet Stanfill
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 270.0mm
Height: 304.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 304
About the Author
Sonnet Stanfill is Senior Curator in the Department of Performance, Furniture, Textiles & Fashion at the V&A
Lydia Caston is Exhibition Project Curator at the V&A
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