Schiaparelli.
FOUNTAIN COINS. DANIEL ROSEBERRY.
When Daniel Roseberry, creative director at Schiaparelli, crafted the brand’s 2024 Fall Couture Collection, he sought to evoke a feeling of nostalgia- a deep connection to moments in time that feel both familiar and timeless. Among the standout pieces from the collection is a dress that brilliantly captures the visual essence of an ancient ritual we’ve all participated in, tossing coins into a fountain. An act, seemingly trivial, is loaded with symbolism and history, transforming a simple moment into a gesture of desire.
Dating back to an ancient civilizations, the act of throwing coins into a fountain has long been associated witrh making wishes. It was believed that water was a conduit to the gods, a place where spiritual beings resided. By tossing a coin into a fountain, people believed they were offering something of value to the water’s spirits, seeking protection or making a wish.
Roseberry taps into this tradition in ways that this design beautifully resembles the relationship between the fountain, and it’s tossed coins. This dress holds a life of its own, as it’s covered with brass polka dots that evoke the image of coins shimmering beneath the water’s surface.
The dress itself is a study of elegance and symbolism. Against a sleek black backdrop, the array of brass embellishments is meticulously arranged, mimicking the scattered randomness of coins thrown into a well. The larger pieces rest prominently on the structured shoulders, creating a sense of balance and stability, much like the heavy coins that anchor themselves at the bottom of a fountain.
The dress itself is a study of elegance and symbolism. Against a sleek black backdrop, an array of brass embellishments is meticulously arranged, mimicking the scattered randomness of coins thrown into a well. The larger pieces rest prominently on the structured shoulders, creating a sense of balance and stability, much like the heavy coins that anchor themselves at the bottom of a fountain.
As the eye moves down the garment, the brass pieces become small and more frequent, cascading down the V-line of the dress, over the chest and along the waist. This strategic placement mimics the motion of coins as they fall through water, spreading out as they descend, creating ripples both literal and metaphorical.
Roseberry’s use of brass is particularly compelling. The metal’s natural sheen catches light with every movement, mimicking the way coins glint under sunlight as they sink below the surface. Each brass dot appears to float on the black fabric, creating an illusion of movement, as if they are in the process of drifting down through the water. This illusion transforms the dress into a living embodiment of a fountain, the dark fabric, possibly a silk or velvet, serves as the perfect contrast to the metallic brightness.
But it’s not just about the visual representation. The arrangement of brass dots gives the impression of texture, as though one could run their fingers across the garment and feel the bumps and ridges of each “coin”. This touchable quality invites viewers to connect with the piece on a sensory level, echoing the ritualistic act of holding a coin, feeling its weight, and making a wish before letting it go.
In this way, Daniel Roseberry’s design not only mirrors the act of tossing coins into a fountain but also embodies the hope and longing brought with it. By evoking a comparison of a fountain brimming with coins, Roseberry taps into a universal experience- a shared moment of belief in something greater than oneself. It’s a visual and emotional representation of the quiet moments we sit and have within ourselves. Each brass on the Piece tells a story as the model becomes a living fountain, a keeper of dreams, draped in the hopes of those who came before her.
Schiaparelli’s 2024 Fall Couture Collection, through Daniel Roseberry’s vision, reminds us that fashion can be more than just clothing - it can be a reflection of our collective human experience. By drawing parallels to the timeless ritual of tossing coins into a fountain, Roseberry’s design invites us to cherish our own wishes, serving as a celebration of elegance, history and the power of a single wish, all captured within the dance of brass and fabric.
