Schiaparelli & Dali

The Lobster Dress

The standout piece from the 1937 Fall/Summer collection by Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli was a long ivory evening gown emblazoned with a striking, asymmetrical red lobster motif that stretched from waist to hem across a plain background, dotted with the odd sprig of green parsley. The A-line, silk organza dress was a collaboration between Schiaparelli and Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dalí. Whilst not necessarily typical of 1930s fashion, the dress nonetheless features some aspects of contemporary style: it has a full, bias-cut hemline that increases the overall width, what could almost be described as an empire waistline, and an arresting motif depicted in bold colours. The gown also features a sheer, coral coloured panel just below the bust that gives it a slight empire silhouette. According to Schiaparelli, Dalí was outraged when she wouldn’t let him put his final finishing surrealist touch of real mayonnaise on the dress.

The art of surrealism

Surrealism, the irrational juxtaposition of objects, was a focal tenet of Schiaparelli’s work from the beginning. The combination of her ability to shock, and her love of the avant-garde, led her to form unusual collaborations with the art world as well as life-long friendships with prestigious artists. According to the influential surrealist gallery owner, Julien Levi, Schiaparelli was the only fashion designer to interpret surrealism successfully: instead of adapting a few ideas into her work, she maintained a constant dialogue with the artists to correctly interpret their ideas and ensure a shared understanding. Although her designs often pushed the boundaries of fashion to the edge, they were incredibly smart and extremely wearable. In 1932, The New Yorker commented that, “A frock from Schiaparelli ranks like a modern canvas.”

Schiaparelli was not just concerned with beauty or transient trends but also with art, culture, and innovation. She considered herself an artist, and her designs works of art. At times, Schiaparelli was said to have found designing ‘a very difficult and frustrating art’, noting that “for as soon as a dress is born, it belongs to the past. A dress cannot be hung on the wall like a painting”. However, the creative, open minded, and collaborative view that Schiaparelli possessed of art enabled her to form a unique connection between the two industries, and helped to push the boundaries of what we consider art to be.  

Dali & Lobsters

The red lobster was a recurrent theme for Dalí. From as early as 1935, he viewed lobsters as not only sexual archetypes, but also symbols of danger, as lobsters only turn red after death. Dalí was interested in all aspects of fashion, and the work he did with Schiaparelli became the most critically acclaimed of all her artistic collaborations, causing the two to collaborate on more fashion-art projects together. Dalí’s instantly recognisable personal aesthetic, and ever increasing collaborations with couturiers, led to him becoming a hugely influential figure within the fashion world. 

Wallis Simpson and the Lobster dress

In 1937, Cecil Beaton photographed Wallis Simpson for a Vogue fashion story. Simpson appeared across an eight-page spread wearing a myriad of different dresses by different designers, the most eye catching of which featured Simpson posing in the gardens of the Château de Condé, styled in the Lobster dress. The American socialite was facing harsh backlash from both the British monarchy and the British public regarding Edward VIII’s abdication of the throne. Beaton’s shoot was an attempt to change the perception of the future Duchess to try and set in motion a more positive attitude towards her upcoming union with Edward. After the photos were published, however, controversy arose over the sexual connotations of the dress, and the suspected innuendos from the use and position of the lobster.

The everlasting legacy

The gown’s legacy lives on, with several variations have made appearances over the years. One of the most notable examples of these variations is the structured column gown designed by Prada and worn by Anna Wintour wore when she attended the 2012 Met Gala. The Dress featured a gold, jewelled lobster that curved round the side of the cream coloured dress. Another reimagined version was unveiled for the House of Schiaparelli’s Spring 2017 couture show. Designed by the house’s then creative director Bertrand Guyon, the off-white dress had a bold red swathe of fabric around the waist and a pink and red lobster on the right side that clung to the model’s leg as she walked.  

This iconic gown is one of the earliest collaborations between a fashion designer and an artist; it inspired designers to view the art world as a source of inspiration and, from there, many more beautiful and thought provoking collaborations have materialised. 

Feature Image: https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1937-schiaparelli-lobster/