The love affair between fashion and surrealism officially began in the late Thirties when fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli collaborated with Salvador Dali to design a dress with protruding skeletal bones and a hat in the shape of a shoe- Since then fashion has never looked back (or forward/sideways?)

Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer who along with Coco Chanel dominated fashion between the two World Wars. Heavily influenced by Surrealists her clients included actresses such as Mae West (featured above). Her work which broke all the rules of the day is referenced in Dolce & Gabbana's latest collection entitled 'Surrealism' that features bursts of hot pink and a twist on the traditional tuxedo suit (below).

 Artists such as Dali, Man Ray and Jean Couteau fuelled the designers Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana's work - who have artfully combined surrealism into a collection that is not only visually stunning, but refreshingly fun and innovative too.

 Work by artists such as Man Ray featured (above & below) are all about creating an illusion - and is exactly the concept behind Dolce & Gabbana's fall/winter 2009/10 collection too.

Platform heels, cinched-in waists, sculpted jackets that play with new proportions are all surreal yet wearable elements elements.

Shell-shaped necklaces (above) and buttons (below) reference Dali's work and are strong surrealist symbols.

In the forward thinking video of the same era - 1930's fashion designers outlined what they believed fashion would look like today. Take a sneak peek below.

To see the full Dolce & Gabbana fall/winter 2009/10 collection click here www.dolcegabbana.com/dg

Source: Dolce & Gabbana

Text: Kerry Olsen

Photo Credits: Dali - Getty Images

Photo Credit - Catwalk: Monica Feudi

Photo Credit - Backstage: Luca Cannonieri