Yesterday's posting observed Lady GaGa's Schiaparelli influence with her surrealist-inspired telephone hat. Showing no fear regarding bizarre millinery, Lady GaGa brought glamor by way of a crustacean with her silver lobster hat shown in the following photo.
Many designers have their iconic pieces: Diane Von Furstenberg
gave us the wrap dress, Coco Chanel gave us the little black dress, and Elsa Schiaparelli gave us the lobster dress. It was beautifully designed with a waistband in her signature "shocking pink" and a large lobster gracing the front of the skirt.
This was another collaboration made with artist Salvador Dali, also known for his
Lobster Telephone (also shown). The dress was worn by Wallis Simpson in a Cecil Beaton photo shoot, and has found its way into many fashion history books.
What made Schiaparelli's dress so opulent is the same sensibility that works for Lady GaGa: take a creepy creature from the deep that has been around for millions of years, and make it glamorous. Schiaparelli's lobster is very delicate, like something you would find in a Japanese sumi-e (or ink and wash) painting, where Lady GaGa's lobster sparkles like a
Judith Leiber clutch. Does anyone remember in
Sex and the City where Carrie got the bejeweled duck purse from Mr. Big to carry to the boring, WASPy party? Remember how they thought that these bags were carried by uptight, "more mature" women? Perhaps Lady GaGa is taking the trend of wearing cute and friendly animals and turning it on its head by substituting something that is not at all kosher and has claws that aren't afraid to hurt you.
Many designers have their iconic pieces: Diane Von Furstenberg gave us the wrap dress, Coco Chanel gave us the little black dress, and Elsa Schiaparelli gave us the lobster dress. It was beautifully designed with a waistband in her signature "shocking pink" and a large lobster gracing the front of the skirt.
This was another collaboration made with artist Salvador Dali, also known for his Lobster Telephone (also shown). The dress was worn by Wallis Simpson in a Cecil Beaton photo shoot, and has found its way into many fashion history books.
What made Schiaparelli's dress so opulent is the same sensibility that works for Lady GaGa: take a creepy creature from the deep that has been around for millions of years, and make it glamorous. Schiaparelli's lobster is very delicate, like something you would find in a Japanese sumi-e (or ink and wash) painting, where Lady GaGa's lobster sparkles like a Judith Leiber clutch. Does anyone remember in Sex and the City where Carrie got the bejeweled duck purse from Mr. Big to carry to the boring, WASPy party? Remember how they thought that these bags were carried by uptight, "more mature" women? Perhaps Lady GaGa is taking the trend of wearing cute and friendly animals and turning it on its head by substituting something that is not at all kosher and has claws that aren't afraid to hurt you.
Given my disdain for all things mainstream-pop, I find myself inexplicably smitten with this woman. I think I've watched the video for "Bad Romance" ten times! Of course, in that video, I realize she's as much Marilyn Manson as she is Britney Spears - she just disguises it with a glossy pop coating.
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