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Simultaneously with the pop star Taylor Swift, Sarah Burton stepped into her Showgirl phase. During her second presentation as Givenchy designer, Burton turned up the volume with collars adorned with sparkling rhinestones over collarbones, opulent peach-toned feather accents, a compact and striking evening dress in vibrant red leather, and supermodel Naomi Campbell in a tuxedo jacket draped over a scant lace-trimmed bra.

Establishing a Fresh Direction

Burton's role at Givenchy under a year, but the former key collaborator at McQueen has swiftly crafted a unique persona for the brand and for herself. Givenchy, the iconic residence of the actress Audrey Hepburn and the timeless black dress, has an immaculate bloodline of elegance that runs from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a relative minnow as a business. Earlier creative directors had largely embraced casual styles and functional metal embellishments, but Burton is bringing back the glamour.

"I wanted it to be erotic and sensual and to reveal the body," Burton explained backstage. "To strengthen women, we often adopt male-inspired styles, but I wanted to explore female emotional intelligence, and dressing and undressing."

Concealed appeal was also present, too, in an evening shirt in butter soft white leather. "Each woman is unique," Burton commented. "At times when selecting models, a model tries on a garment and I can just tell that she prefers not to wear heels. Therefore, I adjust the outfit."

Red Carpet Revival

Givenchy is rebuilding its presence in celebrity event attire. Burton has outfitted actor Timothée Chalamet in a pale yellow formal suit at the Academy Awards, and model Kaia Gerber in a retro-inspired ballet dress of dark lace at the Venice Film Festival.

The Revival of Schiaparelli

The brand Schiaparelli, fashion’s house of surrealism, has been resurgent under designer Daniel Roseberry from America. The following year, the Victoria and Albert Museum will host the first major British Schiaparelli exhibition, examining the work of the founder Elsa Schiaparelli and the brand she created.

"Schiaparelli is not merely purchased, you collect pieces from Schiaparelli," Roseberry said post-presentation.

Those who don Schiaparelli don’t need an exhibition to tell them that these garments are artistic. Art-adjacency is beneficial for business – apparel is priced like fine art, with blazers beginning around £5,000. And profits, as well as reputation, is on the up. The location of the presentation was the Pompidou Centre in Paris, an additional signal of how deeply this fashion house is connected to the arts.

Revisiting Iconic Collaborations

Roseberry recalled one of the iconic joint efforts of Schiaparelli with surrealist master Dalí, the 1938 dress named "Tears" which is set to feature in the V&A exhibition. "This centered around returning to the origins of the brand," he said.

The shredded details in the initial design were artistically applied, but for the updated version Roseberry cut into the crepe silk itself. In each version, the shreds are hauntingly reminiscent of stripped tissue.

Eerie Details and Playful Threat

A touch of threat is present at the Schiaparelli house – The founder called her mannequins, with their sharp shoulders and tailored waists, as her plaything troops – as well as a gleeful delight in a joke. Nail-shaped buttons and metallic nose ornaments as earrings are the distinctive language of the brand. The punchline of this show: synthetic fur created using brushes.

Surrealist elements appear all over current fashion. Broken-egg footwear – treading carefully, understand? – were a sellout at the brand Loewe. Dalí-inspired melting clocks have appeared on stage at the house of Moschino. But Schiaparelli dominates this domain, and Roseberry commands it.

"Schiaparelli clothes have a heightened theatricality which dominates the space," he expressed. A scarlet ensemble was sliced with a geometric insert of skin-colored netting that sat roughly where briefs are usually located, in a captivating deception of nudity. The balance between practicality and drama is a key aspect of the event.

New York Designers in Paris

A merry-go-round of designer debuts has introduced two New York favorites to the French fashion world. Designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have moved on from the fashion house Proenza Schouler they created in 2002 to helm Loewe, the Spanish leather goods brand that evolved into a £1.1 billion leading brand under the leadership of Jonathan Anderson before his transition to Dior.

The Americans looked delighted to be in Paris, France. Bold colors inspired by Ellsworth Kelly brought a cheerful pop art vibe to the sophisticated art intelligence for which Loewe has become recognized. Bright yellow loafers swayed their tassels like the hem of Josephine Baker; a scarlet fitted jacket had the bold reflective shapes of a ketchup bottle. And an evening dress disguised as a fresh-from-the-bath towel, plush as a newly washed cloth, found the perfect balance where clever design meets fashion fun.