The pink that Schiaparelli named “shocking” was not an accident. It was a thesis. The body it dressed was not supposed to be comfortable; it was supposed to be argued with.
Fashion, at its most serious, is philosophy made wearable. Elsa Schiaparelli knew that. She had been to Salvador Dalí, who knew that objects could be dislocated from their meaning simply by being placed next to something unexpected. The shoe hat. The telephone bag. The lobster dress.
Wearing an Argument
To dress surreally is to announce that the relationship between the body and the world is not settled. It is still under negotiation. The clothes are the negotiating table.
I think about this when I buy vintage. A dress from 1952 is not a costume; it is a position. It says: I believe in this particular relationship between the body and beauty. I am willing to defend it.
