Daniel Roseberry is always thinking about women, but for the F/W 25 collection he showed in Paris last night, it was truly all he thought about. So much so that he told interviewers backstage he was envisioning a pandemic that wiped out men entirely. He asked himself, If women became heirs to the world, what would they wear?
Well, for one, they would be dressing only for themselves, which Roseberry believes is how it should be, regardless of the male population that is still very much inhabiting this Earth. Roseberry aims to create clothing that makes women feel special and comfortable, which is exactly why it has become one of the most-worn brands on the red carpet as of late.
Women turn to Schiaparelli when they want to move around this world while looking otherworldly. He is able to create fantastical clothing that feels too good for this Earth. And yet it still allows you to move around your reality while looking like you aren’t a part of it. Women feel like their most divine selves in his designs. And that’s why they appear to float in it. He has found a way to encapsulate the godlike beauty of women with tulle, fringe, and gold. He has made it something you can hold—and wear.
Why Wear One Belt When You Could Wear Two or Three or Four?
On the runway, belts got weird in the best way. Nearly every model who wore a belt wore more than one, with a handful wearing upward of three. Of course, the look cinched every outfit’s silhouette, helping to accentuate the models’ figures. It also transformed a practical and utilitarian accessory, the belt, into something special.
The buckles were chunky and detailed. Many different styles were worn all at once, often not aligned, creating a zigzag of leather and metalwork that moved down each torso. It is an example of what Roseberry does best: taking reality and twisting it just so to create something that feels familiar and yet somehow entirely singular.
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
Old Hollywood Was Reimagined Through a Strictly Feminine Lens
It’s impossible not to think of Hollywood when you look at Schiaparelli, because Roseberry is dressing such a large percentage of it right now. But this collection reimagined masculine Old Hollywood glamour for women. Roseberry created suits with large shoulders and exaggerated cinched waists, slouchy matching pant sets in iridescent fabric with tops unbuttoned to reveal slivers of chest, and blazers in a fabric so sumptuous and bright they felt lit from within as if illuminated from underneath. It’s as though he saw the discourse of the last couple years on power suits and said, “Oh, you think that was powerful?” These truly commanded a presence.
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
A Reminder That Women Should Rarely Dress for Men
In the show notes, Roseberry wrote, “My observations reminded me that the women I know rarely, if ever, dress for men. When they do dress up, it’s for other women, and it’s women’s praise that matters to them. Elsa, too, had little time for the male gaze: Yes, she collaborated with many male artists. But though her clothes may have been made with them, they weren’t meant to be looked at by them.” Roseberry’s Schiaparelli is so successful because he is making his mark without rewriting history. Elsa Schiaparelli’s influence and vision shines through, but it doesn’t feel like too much of an homage.
Roseberry has continued in her footsteps by creating surreal pieces for women who want to feel beautiful but not classically so. They want compliments but also questions about what they wear. They want more than anything to intrigue. And this collection did exactly that, with fabric that glistened, fur details that enveloped, and shapes that delighted. It wasn’t just about looking beautiful but doing so in a way that didn’t bend to the whims of standard convention.
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
(Image credit: Schiaparelli)
