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Simultaneously with the pop star Taylor Swift, Sarah Burton stepped into her Showgirl phase. In her second collection as Givenchy designer, Burton heightened the intensity with collars embellished with shimmering stones over collarbones, rich peach-colored maribou plumes, a sleek and short cocktail dress in lipstick red leather, and Naomi Campbell in a tuxedo jacket draped over a barely-there lace trim bra.

Forging a Unique Path

Burton's tenure at Givenchy for a short period, but Alexander McQueen’s long-term right-hand woman has already established a distinctive character for the brand and for herself. Givenchy, the spiritual home of Audrey Hepburn and the little black dress, has an immaculate bloodline of sophistication that stretches from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a smaller player as a business. Previous designers at the house had mostly leaned into streetwear and utility-coded metallic accents, but Burton is bringing back the glamour.

"My intention was for it to be provocative and alluring and to reveal the body," Burton said backstage. "To strengthen women, we often turn to masculine elements, but I wanted to look at feminine sensibility, and the act of dressing and undressing."

There was covered-up allure, too, in an evening shirt in butter soft white leather. "Each woman is unique," Burton stated. "At times when selecting models, a model tries on a garment and I can just tell that she is uncomfortable in high heels. Thus, I modify the ensemble."

Return to Glamorous Events

Givenchy is rebuilding its presence in red carpet dressing. Burton has dressed Timothée Chalamet in a soft yellow tuxedo at the Academy Awards, and Kaia Gerber in a vintage-feel ballerina gown of black lace at the Venice Film Festival.

Schiaparelli’s Surreal Resurgence

The brand Schiaparelli, fashion’s house of surrealism, has been resurgent under the American designer Daniel Roseberry. In the coming year, the V&A will host the inaugural UK Schiaparelli showcase, exploring the work of Elsa Schiaparelli and the brand she created.

"Acquiring Schiaparelli is not about buying, it becomes a collection," Roseberry remarked after the show.

Clients of Schiaparelli require no exhibition to tell them that these clothes are art. Proximity to art is beneficial for business – apparel is priced like fine art, with blazers beginning around £5,000. And income, as well as profile, is rising. The location of the presentation was the Pompidou Center in the French capital, an additional signal of how deeply this fashion house is connected to the arts.

Echoing Past Artistic Alliances

Roseberry revisited one of the iconic joint efforts of Schiaparelli with surrealist master Dalí, the 1938 "Tears" gown which is set to feature in the V&A exhibition. "This focused on going back to the roots of the brand," he noted.

The “rips” in the original were artistically applied, but for the contemporary take Roseberry cut into the silk crepe itself. In both designs, the rips are eerily suggestive of stripped tissue.

Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm

There is an edge of menace at Schiaparelli – Elsa described her mannequins, with their sharp shoulders and tailored waists, as her toy soldiers – as well as a cheerful embrace of wit. Nail-shaped buttons and metallic nose ornaments as earrings are the visual grammar of the brand. The standout feature of this event: faux fur made from paintbrushes.

Surrealist elements appear across modern style. Eggshell-inspired heels – navigating delicately, get it? – were a sellout at the brand Loewe. Dali-esque wonky clocks have appeared on stage at the Moschino label. But Schiaparelli owns this territory, and Roseberry commands it.

"Schiaparelli clothes have an extreme drama which captivates everyone present," he expressed. A scarlet ensemble was sliced with a triangular piece of nude-hued fabric that sat roughly where a pair of knickers should, in a captivating deception of bare skin. The interplay of functionality and spectacle is a key aspect of the event.

US Talents Take on Paris

A whirlwind of new designer introductions has introduced two New York favorites to the Parisian scene. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have moved on from the fashion house Proenza Schouler they founded in 2002 to lead Loewe, the Spain-based leather label that grew into a £1.1 billion leading brand under the tenure of Jonathan Anderson before his departure to Dior.

The US designers appeared thrilled to be in Paris. Vibrant Ellsworth Kelly hues brought an upbeat pop art aesthetic to the cultured artistic knowledge for which Loewe is currently known. Banana yellow loafers dangled their tassels like Josephine Baker’s skirt; a crimson peplum blazer had the confident glossy contours of a tomato sauce container. And a party gown imitating a just-out-of-the-shower towel wrap, soft like a clean towel, captured the sweet spot where smart creation blends with sartorial amusement.