Daniel Roseberry, creative director of Schiaparelli: "Fashion seasons are incredibly demanding, draining and dehumanizing"

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We must thank the pastor who rejected him at 19 years old;

he was the person who forever changed the life of Daniel Roseberry (1985, Plano, Texas, USA).

Because the American

and following in the footsteps of his father, an Anglican pastor.

Logical: if your whole life revolves around such a monolithic pillar as religion, you let yourself be carried away by feelings of love for your neighbor and dedication to others.

"He was very interested in theology and public speaking, but the dean of the seminary told me that he was not destined for that, but to go to New York and do something creative," recalls the Texan.

And he adds: "So, by rejecting me, he gave me permission to leave there and follow a different path."

They seem like two universes that are light years away from each other, but if you look carefully you can see the trail that unites them: the numinous,

Roseberry took that rocket and went from one to the other with awareness and without denying her place of origin.

"I don't go to church anymore, because I don't think anyone has the exclusive path to God, but I embrace the mystery," she explains.

"In the end, religion is a very important part of my life and who I am.

I can't get away from it, so I accept it."

The path to perfectionism

The change in life was less idyllic than one might think, because the

was there.

It is, in the present: it is what has allowed him to make the leap from Thom Browne, the firm where he worked for 10 years, to a house as iconic as Schiaparelli.

Iconic but in need of freshness, in need of someone like Roseberry taking the reins: dedicated, perfectionist and ambitious.

In this industry that is far from being a sin;

it is rather a necessity.

In addition to clothing, Rosebbery has created surreal-inspired accessories and jewelry for Schiaparaelli.

"I'm never really happy with the job, so I always come back for more," he confesses.

and I don't really know why, but I'm also proud of what I've done in this house and what Schiaparelli has become.

But I want to keep doing better and better."

One might wonder if this pressure has been placed on him from outside or has he been the one who has placed it on his shoulders, like the student who yearns for the A above all things even though neither his parents nor his teachers pressure him.

But, in reality, it doesn't matter if it's yours or someone else's: the important thing is the note.

"When I arrived at the Place Vendôme they treated me very well, they were very kind," he recalls with a smile.

But of course

Constantly.

Because you can prove something in one season, but you have to do it again in the next.

He is a little sickly, but it is how he is ».

The warrior's rest

Roseberry, like many other creators, has ended up getting used to the hellish pace that has taken not only the fashion industry, but also the world in general.

For this reason, "recovery after the creative process" is transcendental for him, which consists, among other things, of escaping to the countryside with his friends.

"It's the way I heal after seasons, which are incredibly

"Everything is moving too fast and in all directions, so it's getting harder and harder to predict, or even understand the idea of ​​what a trend is," he says.

"I think it was Alaïa who said 'I'm lucky if I have one good idea a year.'

And designers are expected to have a million viral ideas every season, and of course, that's not possible."

Roseberry says no, but in three years she has already pulled several images, accessories, jewelery and garments out of her hat that have gone around the globe: her mastery of visual language is exceptional.

Like a good conductor, the different elements sound harmonious, not boring.

Not even what he seems to drink straight from the Elsa Schiaparelli file;

what emanates from each of Roseberry's pieces for the French house is

In fact, that is what the designer attributes to women who find an aesthetic response in his work.

"Everyone enjoys a sense of humor in their life," says the one from Texas.

"And there are women who wear Schiaparelli who want to look chic and women who wear Schiaparelli who don't, but they all have a sense of humor."

Like the one that was assumed to Elsa, of whom he does not like to talk excessively: «I hate being asked what Elsa and I would talk about at dinner.

It's something that doesn't interest me at all."

It does show attachment, curiously, to the traditional sense of elegance.

"Because for me it is timeless," he specifies.

"I don't think it's the only valid thing, but I don't think you can ever go wrong with that."

Characteristics of your work

There is also no room for error with the dresses with bold cuts, with the bags with decorations inspired by the body, or with the earrings that could have come directly from nature if gold and enamel sprouted from the earth.

at the same time, two “very different” exercises that require the same verve.

"For the last three years, making things viral has been my main focus," he says.

"Now what I think about is adding iconic elements to the work."

And how do we define them?

"Like something timeless," she says.

“Embracing pieces that have history and are timeless is essential.

It's the only thing you can hold onto as we speed down this highway."

Roseberry's ready-to-wear has a lot to do with Haute Couture in its attention to detail and daring.

Pause is another solution, longed for but not always possible.

Luckily, he lived it up close.

"Pastors take a sabbatical every seven years, which can be three or six months," he explains.

“It is a way to reevaluate where your ministry is going, to know where you want to go.

For many people, that pause was the pandemic, but no one chose it.

For me, the last time was when I quit my job at Thom Browne: I quit in October and was unemployed until the spring, so it was several months as well.

I think if you can,

Although it is a luxury that not everyone can afford.

Neither does the seam, but that is not why it is unimportant.

fashion and art

"Sewing matters a lot and in many ways," he affirms emphatically.

«For the client it has a huge purpose in his life.

For the firm's designer, it is an expression that should be

And in a way, culturally, it's a mirror that reflects what's happening, because in a sense sewing is art.

I think it's as close to art as fashion can get, so it has the power to reflect what's happening in our world today."

Ornate accessories have become an essential at Schiaparelli.

What those who observe and listen to her work would say is that we need to extol the body and maximalism almost more than breathing: it helps heal wounds as much or more than writing, a non-negotiable custom in Roseberry's life.

she reflects.

“When you feel stuck in a situation or in a relationship, or something that is bringing drama to your life, releasing it on the page can be very revealing.

I keep a journal by my bed and every morning after my meditation I write a little or draw.

And I collect them over the years », she concludes with the naturalness of someone who has the habit well integrated into her system.

Peeking into one of those notebooks has to be an experience, let's allow ourselves the license, religious.

But to see Roseberry's mind, one only has to see what he creates through hard work, something he prefers to lazy talent.

"There are people in this world who are incredibly talented but have trouble getting things done," she explains.

And he concludes: "I believe that with effort and a good attitude you can make miracles happen."

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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