That by now Daniel Roseberry has accustomed us to a specific and “predictably” lavish taste for every collection he designs for Schiaparelli is a given. However, in this predictability made up of maximally emphasized silhouettes, precious fabrics, gold and various references to the world of bestiaries-with fake feline heads on perhaps unnecessary shoes and accessories-the designer’s talent is reconfirmed in a coherent vision, where the glamour of the red carpet and the dreaminess of the eccentric designer Elsa, coexist in a marriage that, it may be repetitive, but continues to please and receive acclaim, especially in Hollywood where, as we know, excess is never a vice but a virtue.
In this Fall/Winter 2026 collection, Roseberry said he drew on Schiaparelli’s inspirational archives and was particularly fascinated by brooches designed by Giacometti, which depicted Sphinxes. Mythical creatures somewhere between women and animals, this sense of contradiction and duality influenced the designer in no small part, who said he was absolutely convinced that he wanted to focus precisely on this sense of the double in this collection. And so it is that the most extreme femininity meets the archetypes of the classic male wardrobe, softness and lightness collide with the sharp decision of shapes and that unmistakable allure of red carpet couture with everyday wear. Of course, to speak of dailywear for a brand like Schiaparelli would be a gamble: it is certainly not a brand designed to be worn every day, to work as well as to the supermarket, nor does it want to be, unless we are talking about women with such a strong personality that they can wear it even in certain “ordinary” situations with nonchalance. Rather, what Roseberry intends is to be able to find a common thread between hyper-exclusive stardom and the desire of even “ordinary” women to be able to wear a creation of the fashion house, perhaps for some evening or special occasion, that exudes couture while not being couture.
On this fundamental pivot the entire collection is declined, that is, between Schiaparelli’s dreamy DNA and fashion seen as business, which must therefore have a concreteness of purpose, far beyond fantasy. And in this contradiction, made of subtle balances, Roseberry tries to find its answer, permeating each garment with this manufacturing and visual duality. Sequined column dresses meet exclusive metallic draping, while raw-cut fur is incredibly dry in its pageantry. Pleated silk-blend fabrics reproduce a liquid effect, covered with transparent laminations, which we find on spiral-cut dresses and suits. And then knitwear, in workings that the creative director likes to call “impossible knits”: traditional Aran cable knits juxtaposed with tulle panels for an almost illusory result, as if to create something heavy that seems to float on the body. There is also, of course, no shortage of jersey, a fabric very dear to Schiaparelli’s heritage, since Elsa was among the first to introduce it into women’s wardrobes, demonstrating, from the very beginning, a unique, radical, countercultural vision of fashion. Accessories are, as always, an ode to opulence, between unreal decorativism and noir suggestions of extreme finesse. Roseberry remains firm on its creative line, strong of course from a brand that has always stood for its enormous legacy of suggestions and worlds to explore. We don’t know how many women will actually choose to dress Schiaparelli for a gala dinner or at the theater, but for the time being the brand remains the most loved by overseas celebrities, and that is already a great thing.
[📷Instagram: Schiaparelli ©Clara Cullen]
