Belt

Design House Schiaparelli French
Designer Elsa Schiaparelli Italian

Not on view

Schiaparelli often used her accessories, particularly belts, as avenues of expression for her Surrealist ideals. Buckles, clasps, decorations and belts themselves were made of unusual materials, such as plastic and plaster, and in quirky shapes that could elicit a viewer’s double-take. To pair such an off-beat accessory with a couture garment was just the kind of humorous irony Schiaparelli enjoyed incorporating into her work.

Leather is a commonly used material for belts. However, Schiaparelli takes the relatively uninteresting material and forms it into an artistic accessory. The scrolling stylized leaf-shaped cut out is embellished with pigment, forming the stems and veins of the leaves. Schiaparelli often looked for ways to incorporate avant-garde materials or techniques into her designs and the idea of painted leather was very experimental at that time.

Belt, Schiaparelli (French, founded 1927), leather, metal, pigment, French

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