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On the very same day as the pop star Taylor Swift, Sarah Burton embarked on her Showgirl period. For her second outing as Givenchy designer, Burton amplified the drama with collars dripping rhinestones over collarbones, rich peach-colored maribou plumes, a pocket-rocket cocktail dress in vibrant red leather, and supermodel Naomi Campbell in a tailored tuxedo blazer left open over a barely-there lace trim bra.

Forging a Unique Path

Burton has been at Givenchy for a short period, but the longtime associate of Alexander McQueen has swiftly crafted a unique persona for the fashion house and for herself. The Givenchy fashion house, the legendary domain of the actress Audrey Hepburn and the classic LBD, has an immaculate bloodline of elegance that stretches from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a relative minnow as a business. Earlier creative directors had largely embraced streetwear and practical metallic details, but Burton is reviving the allure.

"The goal was to create something erotic and sensual and to show skin," Burton noted backstage. "To strengthen women, we often adopt male-inspired styles, but I wanted to explore women's emotional depth, and the process of adorning and revealing."

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

Return to Glamorous Events

Givenchy is re-establishing itself in celebrity event attire. Burton has dressed Timothée Chalamet in a pale yellow formal suit at the Oscar ceremony, and model Kaia Gerber in a classic ballerina-style gown of black lace at the Venice Film Festival.

Schiaparelli’s Artistic Comeback

The brand Schiaparelli, the avant-garde design house, has been making a comeback under the American designer Daniel Roseberry. In the coming year, the V&A Museum will host the premier British exhibition on Schiaparelli, examining the work of the founder Elsa Schiaparelli and the house she founded.

"You don’t buy Schiaparelli, it becomes a collection," Roseberry declared backstage.

Women who wear Schiaparelli need no showcase to tell them that these designs are masterpieces. Art-adjacency is beneficial for business – garments carry art gallery price tags, with blazers beginning around £5,000. And profits, as well as profile, is on the up. The setting for the event was the Centre Pompidou in Paris, a further indication of how intimately this brand is linked to art.

Echoing Past Artistic Alliances

Roseberry revisited one of the most renowned partnerships of Elsa with Salvador Dalí, the 1938 "Tears" gown which will be in the V&A show. "This centered around returning to the origins of the house," he explained.

The torn effects in the original were artistically applied, but for the contemporary take Roseberry cut into the silk crepe itself. In each version, the rips are eerily suggestive of stripped tissue.

Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm

A hint of danger exists at Schiaparelli – Elsa referred to her mannequins, with their defined shoulders and nipped-in waists, as her toy soldiers – as well as a cheerful embrace of wit. Nail-shaped buttons and golden noses hanging as ear accessories are the iconic symbolism of the house. The standout feature of this event: faux fur made from paintbrushes.

Surrealism pops up throughout contemporary fashion. Eggshell-inspired heels – navigating delicately, understand? – were extremely popular at the fashion house Loewe. Dalí-inspired melting clocks have graced the runway at the house of Moschino. But Schiaparelli leads in this area, and Roseberry commands it.

"Schiaparelli clothes have a heightened theatricality which captivates everyone present," he expressed. A red gown was adorned with a triangular panel of skin-colored netting that was positioned approximately where a pair of knickers should, in a captivating deception of nakedness. The interplay of functionality and spectacle is all part of the show.

US Talents Take on Paris

A whirlwind of new designer introductions has brought two darlings of New York to Paris. The duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have departed from their Proenza Schouler label they established in 2002 to helm Loewe, the Spanish leather goods brand that grew into a £1.1 billion leading brand under the tenure of Jonathan Anderson before he moved to Dior.

The American creatives seemed ecstatic to be in Paris, France. Bold colors inspired by Ellsworth Kelly brought a cheerful pop art vibe to the cultured artistic knowledge for which Loewe now stands. Bright yellow loafers shook their tassels like Josephine Baker’s skirt; a crimson peplum blazer had the confident glossy contours of a ketchup bottle. And a cocktail dress masquerading as a just-out-of-the-shower towel wrap, plush as a newly washed cloth, achieved the ideal blend where clever design meets fashion fun.