Schiaparelli Spring 2026 Couture

Schiaparelli Spring 2026 Couture

Schiaparelli Couture Turns Fashion into a Fierce Cinematic Fantasy

Schiaparelli Spring 2026 Couture

Setting the tone of Spring/Summer 2026 Haute Couture Week, Daniel Roseberry’s collection channelled the untamed force of nature and cinematic intensity through trompe-l’œil effects, evoking a sense of heightened melodrama.

Known also for his tongue-in-cheek design allusions, actress and singer Teyana Taylor kicked off the show, arriving in something that looked slightly familiar. Remember the jewels stolen from the Louvre? Her jewel-drenched ensemble was modelled after those very artifacts. It was a reminder that this Haute Couture show offered far more than spectacle; every detail was intentional.

Teyana Taylor at Schiaparelli Spring 2026 Couture

At the designer’s core, Daniel Roseberry is no stranger to extravagant and meticulous detailing, but in his Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2026 debut, these elements felt particularly impassioned—an homage to his own design philosophy. Titled The Agony and the Ecstasy, the collection stemmed from two leading questions he asked himself before creating: “How do I use anger, because I think there is a lot of anger in the world right now?” and “Where is the joy of creation—and are the two things linked?” Boy did he not disappoint.

Throughout the collection, pieces blurred the lines between fashion and the beasts of nature, with 3D scorpion and alligator tails. Dipping into the house’s heritage, it was only fitting to engulf the audience in a surreal fantasy—one that invited viewers to feel the same emotional intensity that shaped the collection itself.

Drawing from this mindset, the designs were inspired by a wide mix of references, from Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel to the sci-fi classic Alien, as well as the writing of English philosopher and poet David Whyte. One quote in particular resonated with Roseberry: “Anger is the deepest form of compassion”—a sentiment that feels especially relevant as the world continues to unravel. Instead of pushing that emotion aside, Roseberry chose to lean into it, translating it into something creative and raw.

“We usually associate anger with aggression,” he noted, “but this felt different.” Members of the atelier shared the same feeling, describing the process as surprisingly joyful, some even saying they had never had more fun than when working on something as bold and confrontational as the scorpion tail.

Schiaparelli Spring 2026 Couture

Behind the drama, the craftsmanship was just as staggering. Look number eight alone took 4,000 hours of embroidery to achieve the most genius “butterfly spiral,” made of handmade lace. The gown featuring 25,000 silk thread feathers on the bustier required an additional 4,000 hours of work, completing the scissor-hemmed ivory tulle levitating gown.

The smoked crystal and natural shell strapless gown, with a base of midnight chocolate tulle, was made of 690 natural shells, taking over 4,000 hours of hand embroidery by the atelier team.

Schiaparelli Spring 2026 Couture

In a fitting conclusion, closing a Haute Couture show of a lifetime could only be done with a look that demanded attention while bringing the collection together simultaneously. There was no better execution than the final of the “Elsa Jackets.”

Hand-painted feathers with four 3D hand-sculpted bird beaks in shades of brown and mauve accentuated the defying-gravity hips seen throughout the collection. The jacket transformed into large wings at the neck, embroidered with thousands of hand-painted feathers to create a sfumato effect, perfectly encapsulating the essence of the show and the creative process behind the collection.