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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 dripping rhinestones over collarbones, rich peach-colored maribou plumes, a sleek and short cocktail dress in bold crimson leather, and supermodel Naomi Campbell in a tailored tuxedo blazer left open over a minimalist lace-adorned bra.

A New Identity

Burton's role at Givenchy less than a year, but Alexander McQueen’s long-term right-hand woman has quickly defined a unique persona for the fashion house and for herself. The Givenchy fashion house, the legendary domain of the actress Audrey Hepburn and the timeless black dress, has a flawless lineage of elegance that stretches from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a smaller player as a business. Her recent predecessors had mostly leaned into casual styles and utility-coded metallic accents, but Burton is reintroducing the allure.

"My intention was for it to be provocative and alluring and to show skin," Burton noted following the presentation. "When we want to empower women, we often reach for masculine codes, but I wanted to explore feminine sensibility, and the process of adorning and revealing."

Concealed appeal was also present, too, in a dress shirt in supple white leather. "Every woman is different," Burton commented. "Occasionally during casting, a model dons a look and it becomes clear that she is uncomfortable in high heels. Therefore, I adjust the outfit."

Reclaiming the Red Carpet

Givenchy is re-establishing itself in red carpet dressing. Burton has outfitted actor Timothée Chalamet in a soft yellow tuxedo at the Oscar ceremony, and model Kaia Gerber in a retro-inspired ballet dress of ebony lace at the cinematic event in Venice.

Schiaparelli’s Surreal Resurgence

The brand Schiaparelli, fashion’s house of surrealism, has been experiencing a revival under designer Daniel Roseberry from America. The following year, the V&A will host the first major British Schiaparelli exhibition, looking at the work of designer Elsa Schiaparelli and the brand she created.

"You don’t buy Schiaparelli, you collect pieces from Schiaparelli," Roseberry remarked backstage.

Those who don Schiaparelli need no showcase to tell them that these designs are masterpieces. Connection with the art world is good for the bottom line – clothes come with gallery prices, with outerwear priced from approximately £5,000. And revenue, as well as visibility, is on the up. The location of the presentation was the Pompidou Centre in Paris, another reminder of how intimately this brand is linked to art.

Echoing Past Artistic Alliances

Roseberry recalled one of Elsa’s most famous collaborations with artist Salvador Dalí, the 1938 dress named "Tears" which will be in the V&A show. "This was about returning to the origins of the brand," he explained.

The shredded details in the initial design were carefully rendered, but for the contemporary take Roseberry tore into the crepe silk itself. In both designs, the rips are eerily suggestive of stripped tissue.

Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm

A touch of threat is present at Schiaparelli – Elsa described her mannequins, with their angular shoulders and tailored waists, as her plaything troops – as well as a gleeful delight in a joke. Fingernail-inspired fasteners and golden noses hanging as ear accessories are the distinctive language of the label. The standout feature of this event: fake fur crafted from paintbrushes.

Surrealist elements appear all over current fashion. Eggshell-inspired heels – walking on eggshells, understand? – were highly sought-after at Loewe. Dalí-inspired melting clocks have walked the catwalk at the house of Moschino. But Schiaparelli leads in this area, and Roseberry oversees it.

"Designs by Schiaparelli feature an extreme drama which dominates the space," he expressed. A crimson dress was adorned with a triangular piece of nude-hued fabric that was positioned approximately where a pair of knickers should, in a startling illusion of nakedness. The tension between wearability and theatre is all part of the show.

American Creatives in the French Capital

A carousel of creative director launches has introduced two New York favorites to the French fashion world. Designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have left behind the Proenza Schouler brand they established in 2002 to lead Loewe, the Spain-based leather label that expanded into a $1.5bn (£1.1bn) alpha name under the direction of Jonathan Anderson before he moved to Dior.

The Americans looked delighted to be in the City of Light. Bold colors inspired by Ellsworth Kelly brought a joyful pop art sensibility to the sophisticated art intelligence for which Loewe is currently known. Bright yellow loafers swayed their tassels like the hem of Josephine Baker; a crimson peplum blazer had the bold reflective shapes of a ketchup bottle. And a cocktail dress masquerading as a recently used bath sheet, plush as a newly washed cloth, found the perfect balance where clever design meets fashion fun.