Concurrent Sessions

Desks, Drawers and Dilemmas: The Hidden Meanings Behind Schiaparelli’s Desk Suit

---

Abstract

Between 1936-1939, Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali collaborated on a series of Surrealist-inspired fashions. One of the more thought-provoking but perhaps most neglected in terms of detailed investigation and elabora-tion has been Schiaparelli's "Desk Suit." In 1936, Dali drew "The City of Drawers," an agonised nude with a torso composed of a series of half-open drawers. There is little doubt that this drawing was the source of artis-tic inspiration behind Schiaparelli's now-famous Desk Suit. However it is yet to be determined whether this specific collaboration was anything more than another instance of a fashion designer "borrowing" from an art style in an attempt to legitimize an artistic pursuit, often viewed as frivolous and superficial in comparison to the "fine arts."

How to Cite:

Gibson-Quick, R., (1998) “Desks, Drawers and Dilemmas: The Hidden Meanings Behind Schiaparelli’s Desk Suit”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 1999(1).