Daniel Roseberry’s Icarus-Inspired Schiaparelli Couture Redefines Fashion

Leave it to Daniel Roseberry to craft a narrative that pushes boundaries—not just in fashion but in storytelling. This season, his Schiaparelli collection at Paris Couture Week, aptly titled Icarus, wasn’t adorned with wings or blazing suns, but instead took its inspiration from the Greek myth’s deeper meaning: the daring ambition to soar higher and defy limits. Roseberry’s runway wasn’t about playing it safe—it was about risk, reinvention, and reshaping expectations of haute couture.

“I think, to me, it’s always about challenging the expectations of what makes a memorable moment—because we’ve done the break-the-internet thing,” Roseberry reflected. Though the Icarus myth ends in tragedy, its essence resonates with risk-taking and outdoing oneself—a bold mantra for fashion in 2024. Roseberry’s challenge this season? To embrace intellectual and technical risks. “I wanted to challenge this idea that to be modern, it must be simple,” he shared. His vision: to create garments that intertwine “antiquity and modernity at the same time.”

Corsetry may seem worlds apart from modernity, yet it’s undeniably having a moment—albeit one fraught with socio-political undertones. Whether it’s the resurgence of cinched waists amid global challenges to women’s rights or the surprising crossover into menswear, corsetry has returned to the forefront. For Roseberry, the torso became the axis of his collection.

The craftsmanship was jaw-dropping. Corsets morphed into architectural marvels: hips jutted at surreal angles, and padded dresses created anatomically impossible curves. A white bodice paired with black trousers resembled a Futurist sculpture, while a tulle-draped corset transformed Maggie Maurer into a vision of modern surrealism—a half-woman, half-perfume bottle hybrid.

Kendall Jenner’s dress, with boning that sculpted her silhouette into something reminiscent of an Art Deco skyscraper, epitomized Roseberry’s ability to meld structure with sensuality. The engineering behind these pieces felt almost otherworldly, with their seamless transitions and undulating forms akin to airplane fuselages.

The standout piece? A strapless bustier with a 3D fish scale embroidered heeled mule with an asymmetrical wavy décolleté, a woven dress in faded pistachio organza embroidered with crystal water drops on the inside of each interlace and finished with a cascade of fringes over the shoulders, and a nude mesh corset bustier dress with exaggerated hips and entirely embroidered with trompe l’oeil pearls in satin stitch. Its aerodynamic, rounded tail was couture-meets-aeronautics perfection.

Roseberry’s nod to the past came through in unexpected ways. His inspiration stemmed from a trove of early 20th-century Lyon couture ribbons. One of the show’s most captivating pieces—a corseted gown crafted from brown moiré silk ribbon—spoke to the timeless elegance of these materials. Another highlight was a slim, tiered ribbon dress that shimmered with every step, evoking the spirit of 1920s flapper style but reinvented for today’s audience.

These pieces captured the essence of haute couture: a bridge between history and the future, a transformation of tradition into something utterly unprecedented.

In Icarus, Roseberry didn’t just test the limits—he redefined them. The collection soared when it leaned into its dualities, balancing the weight of history with the daring spirit of modern innovation. Like its mythical namesake, the collection aimed high, reminding us that true couture isn’t afraid to risk it all to reach new heights.