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On the very same day as the pop star Taylor Swift, designer Sarah Burton embarked on her Showgirl period. In her second collection as the creative director of Givenchy, Burton heightened the intensity with collars adorned with sparkling rhinestones over collarbones, rich peach-colored maribou plumes, a pocket-rocket cocktail dress in lipstick red leather, and Naomi Campbell in a tailored tuxedo blazer worn open over a minimalist lace-adorned bra.

Establishing a Fresh Direction

Burton's role at Givenchy under a year, but the former key collaborator at McQueen has swiftly crafted a new identity for the house and for herself. The Givenchy label, the legendary domain of the actress Audrey Hepburn and the little black dress, has an immaculate bloodline of elegance that extends from the French capital to Tinseltown, but it is a relative minnow as a business. Her recent predecessors had mostly leaned into casual styles and practical metallic details, but Burton is reviving the glamour.

"My intention was for it to be provocative and alluring and to reveal the body," Burton said following the presentation. "When we want to empower women, we often reach for masculine codes, but I wanted to examine female emotional intelligence, and the act of dressing and undressing."

Subtle seduction was evident, too, in a formal shirt in butter soft white leather. "Every woman is different," Burton stated. "At times when selecting models, a model puts on an outfit and it becomes clear that she doesn’t want to wear a heel. Therefore, I adjust the outfit."

Reclaiming the Red Carpet

Givenchy is rebuilding its presence in high-profile occasion wear. Burton has styled actor Timothée Chalamet in a soft yellow tuxedo at the Academy Awards, and model Kaia Gerber in a classic ballerina-style gown of dark lace at the cinematic event in Venice.

The Revival of Schiaparelli

Schiaparelli, the surrealist fashion label, has been resurgent under the US-born creative director Daniel Roseberry. The following year, the Victoria and Albert Museum will host the inaugural UK Schiaparelli showcase, looking at the work of Elsa Schiaparelli and the brand she created.

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

Women who wear Schiaparelli don’t need an exhibition to tell them that these designs are masterpieces. Proximity to art is positive for revenue – apparel is priced like fine art, with jackets starting at about £5,000. And revenue, as well as visibility, is on the up. The location of the presentation was the Centre Pompidou in Paris, an additional signal of how intimately this brand is linked to art.

Revisiting Iconic Collaborations

Roseberry reexamined one of the iconic joint efforts of Schiaparelli with surrealist master Dalí, the 1938 "Tears" gown which will be in the V&A show. "This was about revisiting the foundation of the house," he said.

The torn effects in the original were carefully rendered, but for the updated version Roseberry tore into the silk fabric itself. In each version, the tears are chillingly evocative of stripped tissue.

Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm

There is an edge of menace at the Schiaparelli house – The founder called her mannequins, with their angular shoulders and cinched waists, as her miniature army – as well as a cheerful embrace of wit. Buttons in the form of fingernails and gold noses dangling as earrings are the distinctive language of the brand. The punchline of this show: fake fur crafted from paintbrushes.

Avant-garde themes emerge all over current fashion. Broken-egg footwear – navigating delicately, understand? – were highly sought-after at the brand Loewe. Dalí-inspired melting clocks have graced the runway at the house of Moschino. But Schiaparelli leads in this area, and Roseberry oversees it.

"Designs by Schiaparelli feature a heightened theatricality which captivates everyone present," he expressed. A red gown was adorned with a triangular piece of nude-hued fabric that rested around the area a pair of knickers should, in a head-swivelling illusion of nakedness. The tension between wearability and theatre is all part of the show.

New York Designers in Paris

A merry-go-round of designer debuts has welcomed two NYC stars to the Parisian scene. Designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have left behind their Proenza Schouler label they established in 2002 to take over Loewe, the Spanish leather goods brand that expanded into a $1.5 billion powerhouse under the leadership of Jonathan Anderson before he moved to Dior.

The US designers appeared thrilled to be in the City of Light. Bold colors inspired by Ellsworth Kelly brought an upbeat pop art aesthetic to the cultured artistic knowledge for which Loewe is currently known. 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 just-out-of-the-shower towel wrap, fluffy as a freshly laundered bath sheet, achieved the ideal blend where clever design meets fashion fun.