Daniel Roseberry knows how to crank up the volume.
Since taking the creative helm at Schiaparelli, he’s delivered viral celebrity looks and runway moments that have placed the brand squarely at the center of the fashion conversation.
For his fall collection, he took the risk of dialing it right down. A dark room and 40 looks were his only cards, signaling a more grounded direction for the house.
“It’s no longer about building visibility, it’s about building something that will take the buzz and convert it into brand equity,” the designer explained during a preview.
Now that he’s got their attention, Roseberry wants women to project themselves into his clothes. He’s still operating at the upper echelons of luxury ready-to-wear — a pair of jeans costs nearly 2,000 euros — but these are outfits that can be worn daily.
The Texan designer offered a chic take on the Western trend with suits that featured a new high-waisted, low-crotch pant that pooled around the feet. They came with cowboy boots inlaid with a molded ear covered with rhinestone piercings, and braids of hair worn as ties.
Outerwear also winked with Surrealist touches, like the gold nipple-shaped buttons on a fuzzy cream coat, or the skeleton quilting on a cropped puffer jacket. The proportions were bold and brassy, with neon shearling and maxi shoulders carrying a whiff of Claude Montana, the late designer whose ghost is hovering over this season.
Roseberry didn’t completely muzzle his penchant for exaggerated effects. A couple of leather looks were embossed with giant crocodile scales, including a miniskirt with a gold decorative button the size of a saucer that was a surefire conversation starter.
But like the draped evening gown that Taylor Swift wore to the Grammys, his eveningwear erred on the side of restraint, from monochrome gowns with graphic cutout details to the black velvet bustier and pants worn by Irina Shayk, looking flawless in minimal hair and makeup.
“I really feel like there’s confidence in simplicity,” he said. “For me, this is really about something more bare, something more raw.”
Quiet luxury, it ain’t. But after five years of shouting from the rooftops, Roseberry is letting his clothes do the talking.
For more Paris Fashion Week reviews, click here.