1. Elsa was born in Rome in 1890. She was determined to shock her world from the beginning and while still young she attended a ball - not wearing a dress but wrapped only in fabric. What then happened that caused quite a commotion? She tore the fabric quite badly. The fabric began to unravel. She spilled red wine on the "garment" and ruined it. She got into a fight because she was taunted about her attire.

2. Elsa Schiaparelli married her Theosophist husband William de Wendt de Kerlor who promptly abandoned her when their daughter was born. In 1922 she found herself alone in Paris. Her sickly daughter was in a Swiss boarding school and her lover had just died from meningitis. What was the signature item of clothing she managed to produce in these difficult times that opened the door to her future? A black sweater A straight cut embroidered skirt A small green felt hat A tentlike dress

3. Encouraged by this success, Schiaparelli or Schiap as she came to be known, opened her own small fashion outlet making a sporting line. For which sport did she design very popular and practical clothing? All of these Tennis Golf Skiing

4. The 1930s were wonderful years for Elsa Schiaparelli. She felt able to experiment and produced fashion to shock and delight countless women. What fashion accessory did she produce in the shape of fish, insects, bullets, animals, cupids and even clowns? Fashion catalogs Small coin purses Buttons Pendants

5. Miss Schiaparelli was famous for her hats and produced them in the most outrageous shapes and colours. What unusual design did she create for her eager clientele? A Lamb Chop hat A Hen Nest hat A hat in the shape of a shoe All of these

6. Ever determined and thoroughly able to shock the world with her fashions, her daring seemed endless. A black ballgown caused a sensation because of the white raised embroidery on the black sheath. What was embroidered on this dress? A house A palm tree A skeleton Large intertwining flowers

7. In the 1930s, Schiaparelli's designs were heavily influenced by the Surrealist movement of the time. She was particularly inspired by one of the movement's leading members and a dress featuring a large lobster and parsley sprigs was produced. Who was the artist? André Breton Dada Salvador Dali René Magritte

8. Given the success of her fashions, it was inevitable that Elsa would make many friends in high places. The Duchess of Windsor - Wallis Simpson was a fervent follower of her designs. She also had many admirers in Hollywood including Marlene Dietrich and Gloria Swanson. Which Hollywood legend's figure was the inspiration for the shape of the perfume bottle designed for Elsa's "Shocking" fragrance? Mae West Ginger Rogers Tallulah Bankhead Veronica Lake

9. Schiaparelli loved colour, as is evidenced by her use of it in her designs and fabric choices. She teamed turquoise with grape, black with lime green and red, and olive green with deep purple. There is a variation of one colour that she truly claimed as her own - what was it? Orange Blue Pink Yellow

10. A true pioneer and rule breaker in her chosen field, Elsa Schiaparelli could claim many fashion firsts. What innovation did she launch onto the unsuspecting world of fashion? All of these Animal print fabrics Shoulder pads Zippers dyed the same colour as the garment fabric