"Breakfast" suit

Following a lineage of witty designs by creators including Elsa Schiaparelli and Franco Moschino, this playful look by Roth employs the surrealist strategy of displacement with a pair of fried eggs that are fastidiously pieced down the center front of an otherwise staid linen ensemble. Aptly titled the “Breakfast” suit, the garment is beautifully constructed, stitched with a level of workmanship and seriousness that belies the joke. Roth became known for his engagement with art history and popular culture. His interest in humor and storytelling, combined with an avid devotion to detail, were hallmarks of his work. As the designer himself remarked, “Humor is very important. The quality has to be there, too, otherwise the humor falls dead and the designs just look silly.”