How Your Favourite Designers Are Borrowing From The 1920s Artsy Girl.

Elsa Schiaparelli (the rival of Coco Chanel back in the 1920s) couture house sadly closed in 1954 and many people have disregarded, forgotten or have never even heard of her, but when looking at today’s styles although Chanel is still going strong many brands have been borrowing Elsa’s style tips instead.

Schiaparelli’s style was a little more out there and a little more fun, being friends with the likes of Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau created an artistic flair in her work that sometimes came across as outrageous or just plain wrong. With her favourite colour to use on many garments being hot pink and being the first women to wear culottes undisguised as a skirt she was truly the bad girl of the time.

So on a closer look at today’s fashions big brands seem to have took some inspiration and put some of her artistic vision into their designs too.

Elsa Schiaparelli's - Shocking Jean Paul Gaultier - Classique 50ml £58.50 from boots. He has clearly modelled his bottle from Elsa's inspiration. Elsa Schiaparelli's - Bowling bag design. Lulu Guinness - Dial M For Murder Sadly unavailable now but you can tell where the inspiration has come from with the telephone design. Lulu Guinness - Red Large Perspex Lips Clutch. £295 from the website. This Lulu Guinness piece that seems to have took inspiration from the same bag as the coin purse. Elsa Schiaparelli in collaboration with Jean Cocteau Lulu Guinness - Kissing Lips Jasmine Jacket Another from Lulu Guinness to prove she is the expert on Schiaparelli, this is a modern take on her collaboration with Jean Cocteau that takes the approach of the image in a less obvious way.

Sadly a doppelganger of one of Elsa’s most famous items could not be found but if anyone finds one, tweet us at @fashion_north or comment below as we are DYING to get our hands on one of these.

If you would like to see other designs and works of Elsa take a look at this Pinterest board.