Schiaparelli names Daniel Roseberry as artistic director

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Apr 23, 2019

From little-boy suits to fashion’s greatest surrealist label: The house of Schiaparelli has appointed Daniel Roseberry, an alumni of New York tailor Thom Browne, to be its new artistic director.

Born in Texas and 33 years old, Roseberry, who spent more than 10 years alongside Thom Browne at the head of the men's and women's collections, will breathe a bold and avant-garde creative vision into the House of the Place Vendôme, as did its founder, whose unconventional creative heritage is steeped in the history of fashion.
 
"It is my great honor and my joy to pick up where Mme. Schiaparelli left off some 85 years ago. Schiaparelli was a master of the modern; her work reflected the chaos and hope of the turbulent era in which she lived. Today, we find ourselves asking similarly big, identity-shaping questions of our own: What does art look like? What is identity? How do we dress for the end of the world?

"Schiaparelli answered these questions with candor and humor, but one of her greatest legacies may be her commitment to fantasy, her understanding that we need fantasy in complicated times. I want to offer my own answers to these questions, and offer a fantasy—a dream—that feels relevant, and necessary, for today."
 
Diego Della Valle, owner of maison Schiaparelli, said: "I am delighted to welcome Daniel Roseberry at Schiaparelli House. His modern and innovative creative vision and its multiple talents will allow the House to deploy all of its activities in respect of this unique heritage that has made Schiaparelli a revolutionary brand."
 
Elsa Schiaparelli, born in Rome in 1890, was one of the greatest couturiers and fashion revolutionaries of all time, whose fetish hue was shocking pink. Diego della Valle, 65, the highly successful though maverick billionaire from the eastern Marches region -- who also controls Tod’s, Hogan and the Fiorentina football club -- bought Schiaparelli in 2007.
 
The house has been active of late on multiple fronts. In December 2018, it launched its latest capsule collection in Bergdorf Goodman, naming it Pink Victory. It was the second installment of its new ready-to-wear and accessories division, a concise wardrobe of some 31 pieces. Story #1 referenced Man Ray, and photo surrealism, and started in stores in September.
 
Also in September, Schiaparelli CEO Delphine Bellini launched a new finely-tooled leather bag, The Secret, with hefty golden padlock clasp, offered in pink; and also in a black and white sketch of the moon, with old-fashioned electric cord.  At the time, insiders noted that Guyon did not design either of these projects. While after his final couture show for Schiaparelli in the Opera Garnier of Jan. 21, Della Valle was noticeably absent from the backstage. Whispers of a possible replacement, which began then, have now proved true.