“Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso: One cannot exist without the other”…”It is a reminder there is no such thing as heaven without hell; there is no joy without sorrow; there is no ecstasy of creation without the torture of doubt.”- Daniel Roseberry creative director
The runway collection that made waves for its boisterous use of faux animals has been the fashion world’s focus for more than one reason.
Aside from the Kylie Jenner outfit debacle, the pieces drew suspicion from the online community. Questioning if the life-like animal elements were once alive, many awaited a PETA intervention. Rest assured, no animals were harmed in the making of this collection. Each wild piece was entirely hand–made, constructed from foam resin and other man-made materials. Despite full confirmation the items were cruelty-free, many viewers still thought it too encouraging of trophy hunting.
Facing some social media backlash, Schiaparelli affirms her menagerie of pieces of “faux-taxidermy” have a different meaning. The startling collection drew its inspiration from Dante’s “Inferno” and the nine circles of hell. Creative director Daniel Roseberry notes that the collection is a metaphor for the doubt and creative torment all artists experience. The faux creatures represent the three beasts of the epic poem, the leopard, the lion, and the she-wolf, “representing lust, pride, and avarice respectively.” Daniel Roseberry.
The show boasts a bold interpretation of a constant balance in the world that leaves viewers to consider their own interpretation. However, the man behind the beats of the Inferno still asserts that if the clothes elicit fear, they’re doing their job.