<DIV>Elsa Schiaparelli was one of history's most influential and eccentric couturiers. Endowed with a strikingly imaginative approach to fashion, she perfected a unique combination of the witty and the surreal, the cutting edge and the elegant, from her clothing, jewelry, shoe, and perfume designs to her collaborations with such provocative artists as Dalí, Cocteau, and Giacometti. This extravagantly illustrated biography, enhanced with beautiful photographs of Schiaparelli's finished designs and personal sketches, traces the life and career of this innovative fashion genius.</div>