Elsa Schiaparelli Biography: Net Worth, Age, Parents, Husband, Children, Designs, Height

Biography

Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973) was a celebrated Italian fashion designer renowned for her avant-garde and surrealist-inspired designs.

Born in Rome, she moved to Paris in the 1920s, where she launched her fashion house. Collaborating with artists like Salvador Dalí, she introduced bold innovations, including the iconic lobster dress and shocking pink color.

Her playful, artistic approach challenged conventional fashion, blending whimsy with elegance. Schiaparelli‘s influence persists, with her brand revived in 2012, continuing her legacy of creativity and boundary-pushing style.

Italian fashion designer
Elsa Schiaparelli
Wiki Facts & About Data
Real Name:	Elsa Luisa Maria Schiaparelli
Stage Name:	Elsa Schiaparelli
Born:	10 September 1890 (age 83 years old)
Place of Birth:	Rome, Italy
Died:	13 November 1973 (age 83 years), Paris, France
Nationality:	Italian
Education:	University of Rome
Height:	N/A
Parents:	Celestino Schiaparelli, Maria-Luisa Schiaparelli
Siblings:	Maria Luisa Schiaparelli, Beatrice Schiaparelli, Giovanni Schiaparelli, Alfonso Schiaparelli, Ernesto Schiaparelli
Spouse:	Count William de Wendt de Kerlor (m. 1914–1924)
Boyfriend • Partner:	Not Dating
Children:	Gogo Schiaparelli
Occupation:	Fashion Designer
Net Worth:	$10 million (USD)

Early Life & Education

Elsa Schiaparelli was born on September 10, 1890, in Rome, Italy, at the Palazzo Corsini. She was of Italian descent, with a Piedmontese aristocratic father and a Neapolitan aristocratic mother, reflecting a blend of northern and southern Italian heritage.

Her family was well-connected and intellectual, with a strong cultural background. Her father, Celestino Schiaparelli, was a distinguished scholar of Middle Eastern languages and a dean at the University of Rome.

Her mother, Luisa de Wendels de Kerlor, came from a prominent family. Elsa had five siblings: three brothers—Giovanni Schiaparelli, Alfonso Schiaparelli, and Ernesto Schiaparelli—and two sisters, Maria Luisa Schiaparelli and Beatrice Schiaparelli.

Notably, her uncle, Giovanni Schiaparelli, was a renowned astronomer who discovered the canals of Mars. Raised in a Catholic household, Elsa‘s religious upbringing aligned with Italy’s predominant faith, though her later life showed more focus on creativity than strict religious observance.

Her early education was privileged, given her family’s status. She studied at a convent school in Switzerland, which she found restrictive, and later attended the University of Rome, where she explored philosophy.

Her rebellious spirit emerged early; at 21, she published a poetry collection, Arethusa, deemed scandalous by her family for its sensuality, leading to her being sent to a convent in an attempt to curb her unconventional nature.

Career

Elsa Schiaparelli’s career was defined by fearless creativity, artistic experimentation, and a surrealist imagination that transformed 20th-century fashion.

Born in Rome, she left for Paris in her early twenties during the 1920s, immersing herself in the city’s vibrant art scene. Though she had no formal fashion training, her innovative spirit quickly set her apart.

Her breakthrough came in 1927 with a trompe-l’œil knit sweater featuring a bow design—an optical illusion that captured the attention of Vogue and the fashion world. That same year, she opened her first atelier at 4 Rue de la Paix in Paris, marking the official start of Maison Schiaparelli.

Schiaparelli’s designs challenged tradition with their boldness and artistic flair. She collaborated with leading surrealist artists like Salvador Dalí, producing iconic creations such as the lobster dress (1937), the shoe hat, and the skeleton dress—pieces that blended humor, fantasy, and haute couture.

She became known for her daring use of unconventional materials like plastic, glass, and zippers, as well as her signature “shocking pink,” a vibrant magenta that became synonymous with her brand.

By the 1930s, Schiaparelli‘s fashion house had gained international success. She dressed Hollywood stars such as Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, and members of European high society. She expanded into perfumes—launching the famous fragrance “Shocking” in 1937—accessories, and even film costume design. She also pioneered themed fashion collections and helped popularize elegant yet functional sportswear.

However, World War II disrupted her business. She relocated to the United States in 1940, where she lectured and volunteered, but her fashion house in Paris struggled in her absence.

After returning to France post-war, she found her avant-garde style overshadowed by Christian Dior’s more conservative “New Look.” In 1954, she closed her couture house and declared bankruptcy. That same year, she published her memoir, Shocking Life.

Although her brand went dormant, Schiaparelli’s influence never faded. Designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and John Galliano drew inspiration from her bold aesthetic. In 2012, the House of Schiaparelli was revived, bringing her legacy of innovation and surrealist elegance to contemporary fashion.

Social Media

• Wikipedia: Elsa Schiaparelli
• Instagram: Schiaparelli (@schiaparelli)

Personal Life

Elsa Schiaparelli was born on September 10, 1890, and died on November 13, 1973, at 83. She married Wilhelm Frederick Wendt de Kerlor, a Polish theosophist, in 1914 after meeting in London.

Their marriage was troubled by financial issues and his infidelity, leading to a separation by 1920 and divorce in 1924. She never remarried, focusing on her career and independence.

She had one daughter, Maria Luisa Yvonne Radha de Wendt de Kerlor, nicknamed Gogo, born in 1920, who contracted polio as a child, requiring significant care.

Gogo married Robert L. Berenson, and they had two daughters, Marisa Berenson (born 1947), a model and actress, and Berinthia “Berry” Berenson (1948–2001), a photographer and actress who died in the September 11 attacks.

Specific records of Schiaparelli’s height are scarce, but she was described as petite and elegant, fitting her own designs. After her divorce, no confirmed romantic relationships were documented, as she prioritized her career and daughter, moving in artistic circles with figures like Salvador Dalí without publicized romances.

She died peacefully in her sleep on November 13, 1973, in Paris, from natural causes related to old age, with no specific illness noted. Her life, marked by a challenging marriage, was defined by her devotion to her daughter and her pioneering fashion career, leaving a legacy through her family and influence.

Net Worth

Elsa Schiaparelli‘s net worth at the time of her death in 1973 was estimated to be under £4 million (approximately $10 million USD at contemporary exchange rates), reflecting her once-thriving fashion empire built on innovative designs, perfumes, and collaborations with surrealist artists.

However, her financial peak in the 1930s, when Maison Schiaparelli generated millions in annual revenue, was eroded by World War II disruptions, post-war shifts in taste favoring Dior’s New Look, and mounting debts that forced the couture house’s closure in 1954 amid bankruptcy.

Licensing deals for perfumes like “Shocking” provided some later stability, but her legacy endures more through cultural influence than amassed fortune.