ELSA SCHIAPARELLI/6

From that year onwards Elsa Schiaparelli was considered Coco Chanel’s main rival in the world of French fashion. They had opposite styles: Chanel’s was rigorous and simple, Schiaparelli’s rich and creative; they had opposite backgrounds: the first came from a poor family, the second from an aristocratic one. However, they both envisioned a free and independent woman, who was not ashamed of wearing their garments. Schiaparelli became popular during a major turning point in fashion: from flat and shapeless Garçonne-style dresses, which were all the rage during the Twenties, to a more feminine fashion, with a natural waistline, calf-length day dresses, long evening gowns and high heels.