January 26, 2026 |
Schiaparelli brought the drama to Paris Couture Week, kicking it off with a surrealist display that turned models into exquisite avian beasts, fantastical flowers and scorpion-like creatures plucked from the depths of Daniel Roseberry’s boundless imagination. He called it The Agony and The Ecstasy, revealing a collection inspired by a revelatory visit to Rome’s Sistine Chapel and the collision of rigour, faith, beauty and unease that lives at the heart of couture itself.
Staged within the Petit Palais, the show unfolded like a procession of gods and monsters, dreams and nightmares intertwined, all within a dense ecosystem of flora and fauna. Floral appliqués bloomed across extravagant gowns and structured jackets, while entities of the air, land and sea appeared through sharp silhouettes and hyper-detailed surfaces. The first, as well as the final looks, a triptych of sculptural jackets, resembled hummingbird forms, with talons jutting out from coned breasts and wings protruding up from the neckline, worn with slim cigarette trousers.
Electric blues and greens rippled across layers of tulle that built humongous circle skirts, contrasted by slinkier silhouettes finished with tiers of gradient glitter. Vivid sunset hues referenced birds of paradise, while blowfish motifs appeared as sharp-shouldered jackets dusted in crystals and complete with organza spikes. The technical ambition peaked with looks like The Scorpio Sisters, where lace bustiers and jackets transformed into articulated scorpion tails rendered in 3D bas-relief embroidery.
Accessories pushed the fantasy further: think stilettos shaped like birds and snakes, complete with eyes; necklaces adorned with faux bird heads; and historic references including recreations of Empress Eugénie’s pearl-and-diamond tiara and her bodice front knot which were stolen from the Louvre in October of last year.
Guests, including Teyana Taylor and Demi Moore, sat awe-struck by the sheer audacity of the looks as Roseberry delivered his most technical collection to date. Welcome to the jungle.
Photography courtesy of Schiaparelli.
