Parasol
Designer Elsa Schiaparelli Italian
Not on view
In this charming parasol, Schiaparelli's design sense is realized in the unusual choice of fabric. She was known for using a wide array and variety of fabrics, many times made exclusively for her house. In this design, she chose a crisp white gaufré, a fabric name derived from the French for "to figure or emboss," that resembles a seersucker or matelassé. While the square shape and fringe trim were both seen in the 19th century, when parasols were extremely popular, the elongated shape, length of the fringe and modern simplistic stick is indicative of Schiaparelli's artistic outré design sense.