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Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli are two iconic 20th C fashion designers, whose designs were on opposite ends of the spectrum. Chanel opted for sleek and neutral, whereas Schiaparelli worked within the Surrealist art movement of the 1930s. Born into poverty and raised in a convent orphanage, Gabrielle Bonheur (Coco) Chanel began her career as a milliner in 1909. After World War I Chanel emancipated women’s fashion from corsets and full-length gowns by taking inspiration from men’s fashion to include trousers and soft-knit tops - ground breaking concepts of the time! Born in Rome in 1890 to an aristocratic family, Elsa Schiaparelli knew what she wanted in life, and refused to marry any of the rich suitors offered to her by her parents. After a brief marriage and time spent in London and the US, Schiaparelli returned to Europe post World War I and delved headfirst into the fashion scene, as well as the Surrealist and Dada art movements that were beginning to make waves in the contemporary art world. She made a name for herself selling her famous trompe l’oiel sweaters - featuring objects that were not as they would seem to be. A fiery feud, stemmed by profound jealousy, developed between these two designers in the 1930’s. This was mainly due to their individual popularity, contrasting fashion approaches and craftsmanship. Abruptly halted by the onset of World War II, both designers had to shut down their shops. Elsa stayed out of the limelight while the war waged on, Coco became a Nazi spy. Please join us as we explore the life, work, and feuds of Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli - two designers who hailed from opposite familial and cultural backgrounds - and yet became titans in the fashion world.