BREAKING NEWS:  THE FURINSIDER HAS JUST LEARNED THAT THE ICONIC ELSA SCHIAPARELLI LABEL WILL BE RELAUNCHED BY DIEGO DELLA VALLE, OWNER OF THE TOD’S GROUP.

There are names in fashion that most people know but can’t quite pinpoint out. One of these names is Elsa Schiaparelli, one of the greatest designers in fashion history. Elsa Schiaparelli is going to become a household name once again, along with Miuccia “Miu Miu” Prada, with Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (May 10–August 19, 2012).

"Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (May 10–August 19, 2012)

"Trompe l'œil" sweater, Elsa Schiaparelli, ca. 1927 (The Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Cotton evening gown, Elsa Schiaparelli, April 1949

What many may not know, besides the fact that “Schiap” nicknamed her daughter, Maria Luisa Yvonne Radha , “Gogo” [herself the mother of Marisa Berenson], that she lived briefly twice in the US [she stayed in Princeton, NJ, for the duration of WWII], and was “THE” go-to couture label for the Paris avant-garde intelligentsia. She rubbed elbows with the Surrealists, to the dismay of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel who was also friends with the likes of Jean Cocteau and Salvador Dalì. The two women couldn’t stand one another, their friends had to cautiously make sure to not overlap invitations!

Vase with two faces, Elsa Schiaparelli 1930s (The Philadelphia Museum of Art)

model wearing Elsa Schiaparelli's "Shoe" hat, winter 1937–38

"Shoe" hat, Elsa Schiaparelli, winter 1937–38

"Cocteau" Evening Jacket, Elsa Schiaparelli, Fall 1937 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Evening dress and head scarf with tear design (collaboration with Salvador Dalí), Elsa Schiaparelli, summer-fall 1938, (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

In retrospect, Elsa Schiaparelli, who often veiled her numerous collections with large swath of indelible humor, was possibly one of the most technologically driven couture house in Paris at the time –if not for a few decades. She was one of the first to bluntly use zippers and early plastics for her couture creations –her famed buttons (anything and everything from architectural details to insects to reclaimed objects) were as synonymous with her sharp tailoring as they were with her madcap flair. Today, she would likely utilize NASA textiles and incorporate the latest Apple iCulture products in her creations.

Pantsuit, Elsa Schiaparelli, ca. 1939 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

"Butterflies" evening dress, Elsa Schiaparelli, summer 1937 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

'Take on the traditional Tyrolean hat', Elsa Schiaparelli, winter 1938–39 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Necklace, Elsa Schiaparelli, "Pagan" collection, fall 1938 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Belt, Elsa Schiaparelli, fall 1934 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Alla wearing an astrakhan sweater, Elsa Schiaparelli, 1949 collection, photo Geneviève Naylor/CORBIS

If you want to get a taste of what made Elsa “Schiap” Schiaparelli tick and influence the world of fashion to this day, go check-out Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (May 10–August 19, 2012).

If you want to see the gala’s red carpet arrivals streamed live, Monday, May 7, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m [eastern time], click HERE.

"Lobster Dress", Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali, 1937, (The Philadelphia Museum of Art)