Elsa Schiaparelli | Fashion designer

Schiaparelli worked in Paris from the 1920s until her house closed in 1954, was closely associated with the Surrealist movement and created such iconic pieces as the "Tear" dress, the "Shoe" hat, and the "Bug" necklace. 

Her designs witty and practical. She dyed zippers to match fabric, and left them exposed for decoration as well as function. She was famous for her buttons, which were created to suit a current theme – circus clowns, acrobats, cupids, drums, zodiac signs. Her clothing featured broad shoulder pads, nipped-in waists, dyed furs and peplums.

Prada, who holds a degree in political science, took over her family's Milan-based business in 1978, and focuses on fashion that reflects the eclectic nature of Postmodernism. Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada both are Italian and innovative fashion designers, they worked in different eras and had distinctive views and approaches to their work. 

 The Met's Spring 2012 Costume Institute exhibition, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, explores the striking affinities between Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada. the aim of this orchestrated  conversations was to understand that the creative processes of these two women are different but they 

also lead to very similar resolutions

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