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On the very same day as the pop star Taylor Swift, designer Sarah Burton entered her Showgirl era. In her second collection as the creative director of Givenchy, Burton heightened the intensity with collars embellished with shimmering stones over collarbones, opulent peach-toned feather accents, a compact and striking evening dress in lipstick red leather, and Naomi Campbell in a tailored tuxedo blazer draped over a minimalist lace-adorned bra.

A New Identity

Burton's role at Givenchy under a year, but the former key collaborator at McQueen has swiftly crafted a unique persona for the fashion house and for herself. The Givenchy fashion house, the legendary domain of Audrey Hepburn and the timeless black dress, has an immaculate bloodline of glamour that extends from the French capital to Tinseltown, but it is a modest entity as a business. Previous designers at the house had largely embraced casual styles and practical metallic details, but Burton is bringing back the sophistication.

"My intention was for it to be provocative and alluring and to show skin," Burton explained after the show. "When we want to empower women, we often turn to masculine elements, but I wanted to look at female emotional intelligence, and the act of dressing and undressing."

There was covered-up allure, too, in a dress shirt in butter soft white leather. "Every woman is different," Burton commented. "Sometimes when I’m casting, a model puts on an outfit and I immediately sense that she prefers not to wear heels. Therefore, I adjust the outfit."

Red Carpet Revival

Givenchy is reaffirming its position in celebrity event attire. Burton has styled Timothée Chalamet in a soft yellow tuxedo at the Oscars, and Kaia Gerber in a vintage-feel ballerina gown of black lace at the Venice film festival.

The Revival of Schiaparelli

The fashion house Schiaparelli, fashion’s house of surrealism, has been making a comeback under designer Daniel Roseberry from America. In the coming year, the V&A will host the inaugural UK Schiaparelli showcase, looking at the work of designer Elsa Schiaparelli and the brand she created.

"You don’t buy Schiaparelli, you collect Schiaparelli," Roseberry declared after the show.

Women who wear Schiaparelli require no exhibition to tell them that these clothes are art. Art-adjacency is positive for revenue – apparel is priced like fine art, with blazers beginning around £5,000. And income, as well as visibility, is rising. The location of the presentation was the Pompidou Centre in Paris, another reminder of how close this house sits with art.

Returning to Historic Partnerships

Roseberry recalled one of Elsa’s most famous collaborations with surrealist master Dalí, the 1938 dress named "Tears" which is set to feature in the V&A exhibition. "This was about revisiting the foundation of the brand," he noted.

The shredded details in the initial design were artistically applied, but for the modern iteration Roseberry tore into the crepe silk itself. In each version, the tears are chillingly evocative of stripped tissue.

Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm

A hint of danger exists at the Schiaparelli house – The founder called her mannequins, with their sharp shoulders and tailored waists, as her toy soldiers – as well as a joyful appreciation for humor. Nail-shaped buttons and golden noses hanging as ear accessories are the distinctive language of the house. The punchline of this show: synthetic fur created using brushes.

Surrealist elements appear all over current fashion. Broken-egg footwear – treading carefully, get it? – were extremely popular at the brand Loewe. Surrealist distorted timepieces have walked the catwalk at the house of Moschino. But Schiaparelli dominates this domain, and Roseberry oversees it.

"Designs by Schiaparelli feature an extreme drama which dominates the space," he expressed. A red gown was sliced with a triangular piece of nude-hued fabric that rested around the area briefs are usually located, in a captivating deception of nudity. The balance between practicality and drama is all part of the show.

US Talents Take on Paris

A carousel of creative director launches has welcomed two NYC stars to the Parisian scene. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have moved on from the fashion house Proenza Schouler they founded in 2002 to take over Loewe, the Spanish leather house that evolved into a $1.5 billion powerhouse under the tenure of Jonathan Anderson before he moved to Dior.

The Americans looked delighted to be in the City of Light. Ellsworth Kelly brights brought a cheerful pop art vibe to the sophisticated art intelligence for which Loewe is currently known. Banana yellow loafers shook their tassels like the fringe of Baker's costume; a scarlet fitted jacket had the confident glossy contours of a condiment vessel. And a party gown imitating a fresh-from-the-bath towel, soft like a clean towel, achieved the ideal blend where clever design meets fashion fun.