Schiaparelli kickstarts retail operations with first store in US

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Oct 8, 2021

Schiaparelli is beginning a new chapter. Having been quietly relaunched with a very exclusive, high-end positioning, the Parisian couture house owned by Tod's Group boss Diego Della Valle is taking its first steps into retail with its debut monobrand boutique: a space in prestigious American department store Bergdorf Goodman, on New York's Fifth Avenue. 

Located on the fourth floor of the department store, the shop-in-shop will offer Schiaparelli's ready-to-wear collection, including suits, denim parkas with bejeweled buttons, knitwear, coats and capes, dresses that transform into cocktail looks, accessories and leather goods. There will also be a line of evening gowns inspired by the brand's haute couture collection and designed exclusively for the store. 

The U.S. is the largest market for the couture house, which is led by CEO Delphine Bellini and whose current creative director, Daniel Roseberry, is also American. Furthermore, the brand has a long history with Bergdorf Goodman, which sold Elsa Schiaparelli's collections from 1931 right up until the closure of her house in 1954. 

The retailer was also Schiaparelli's first – and, to date, sole – commercial partner at the launch of its ready-to-wear line in 2018. The label has already hosted pop-ups at the department store over the last few seasons, but is now preparing to open a permanent point of sale there. This will be the first permanent retail location for the brand outside of its "Salons Boutique" on Paris' Place Vendôme, where the house was founded and still operates its headquarters. 

It's an important step forward for the brand, which, until now, has prioritized prudence in its relaunch strategy. Della Valle, who acquired the Schiaparelli archives and brand rights in 2006, resurrected the legendary label in 2012, initially concentrating on couture, before developing accessories and a prêt-à-porter line that might be more accurately described as "prêt-à-couture," given both the uniqueness and the price of its pieces.

At the helm of the house's creative direction since 2019, Roseberry has successfully modernized the brand's offering with a fashion twist, all while preserving the playful, quirky and innovative spirit of Elsa Schiaparelli with original, flamboyant and highly desirable pieces that have breathed new life into the label. "Our mission is to build an alternative couture house, and our luxury ready-to-wear line gives us the opportunity to do so. Our ready-to-wear offering is a way for us to balance the dreamlike narrative of couture with commercial credibility," he explained in a release. 

Designed by Roseberry in collaboration with architect Daniel Romualdez, the brand's first American address takes inspiration from the original decor of Elsa Schiaparelli's salons on the Place Vendôme, which resulted from her creative partnerships with artists Jean-Michel Franck and Alberto Giacometti. Scheduled for October 12, the space's opening will be celebrated with three special Fifth Avenue window displays at Bergdorf Goodman.