The Schiaparelli Spring 2026 Paris show, titled “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” was no ordinary opening to haute couture week—it was a manifestation of fashion as a total art form, where body, spirit, and dramatic construction became one. Daniel Roseberry transported viewers into a world where birds in flight intertwine with the Sistine Chapel. Here, agony and ecstasy meet at a single pole of emotion. Schiaparelli Spring 2026 show: “The Agony and the Ecstasy”—haute couture as a real experience of art through fashion.
Material, structure, the magic of technique
The collection balances between theatrical exaggeration and structural discipline. Necklines densely “feathered,” horned corsets, spiked shoulders. Meanwhile, scorpion tails on the back. These are elements that evoke both awe and unease. Every movement of the model revealed technical precision. That’s why the 3D-embroidered “Scorpion Sisters” tails swayed naturally, as if they had a consciousness of their own. Meanwhile, thousands of artificial feathers, dyed in dozens of shades, imitated the movement of birds in flight. Everything—from silk feathers, to resin beaks, to pearlescent eyes—was created entirely cruelty-free. And all with the artistic perfection of haute couture craftsmanship.
A story in form
What set the collection apart from an ordinary spectacle was its cohesive narrative: the Sistine Chapel and birds, agony and ecstasy, corporeality and the sacred. Roseberry transformed the Petit Palais into a darkened “cave” with a sacral-cosmic aura—from the entrance with golden invitations in the form of pendants shaped like a snake’s head with a feather, all the way to the final look. Every detail was meticulously thought out, as if the entire show were one grand installation piece.
Associations and tributes
Silhouettes and sculpted jackets evoked the classics of McQueen, Mugler, and Gaultier, yet Roseberry did not repeat them. He creates his own original designs. Not even reinterpretations. He breathes new life into haute couture with a surreal language. The models’ bodies became a canvas for telling a story about the tension between beauty and terror, majesty and aggression. “Couture says: stop thinking. It’s time to feel”—as if every feather and every seam were a spell drawing the viewer into a world of emotion.
Reactions and echo
The collection sparked tremendous enthusiasm. Instagram and Reels featuring scorpion tails and a peacock dress swirling in motion resonated widely. Meanwhile, phrases like “beautiful and deadly” and “fashion come-to-Jesus moment” capture the power of the experience. Interestingly, however, this collection is thoroughly “anti-media.” These are not looks for the red carpet. Nor are they designs for a “quick photo on social media.” Instead, these are creations where appearance is only the beginning of the experience. Literally, an act of communion. But it wasn’t just about aesthetics. The intensity of emotion, technical precision, and a consistent vision are equally important.
Schiaparelli Spring 2026: “Agony and Ecstasy” – haute couture as living art
Spring 2026 Schiaparelli is a reminder that haute couture can be both extreme and disciplined, theatrical and deeply personal, brutal and ethereal. This is a collection that fuses craftsmanship, material, and form into an experience. Yet none of these silhouettes is a product. Each one is a work of art. That is why this show is an important voice in the fashion conversation. In a world where “fashion” is often reduced to appearance, Roseberry reminds us that it can still shock, move, and awaken. And a show can be a spectacle, directed from the invitations to every seam.
