🔗 Share this article

Simultaneously with the pop star Taylor Swift, designer Sarah Burton embarked on her Showgirl period. In her second collection as Givenchy designer, Burton amplified the drama with collars adorned with sparkling rhinestones along the décolletage, luscious peach maribou feathers, a pocket-rocket cocktail dress in vibrant red leather, and supermodel Naomi Campbell in a formal tuxedo coat worn open over a minimalist lace-adorned bra.

A New Identity

Burton's role at Givenchy under a year, but the longtime associate of Alexander McQueen has swiftly crafted a distinctive character for the house and for herself. The Givenchy fashion house, the iconic residence of Audrey Hepburn and the timeless black dress, has a flawless lineage of sophistication that extends from the French capital to Tinseltown, but it is a smaller player as a business. Earlier creative directors had primarily focused on urban fashion and practical metallic details, but Burton is reintroducing the sophistication.

"My intention was for it to be seductive and intimate and to show skin," Burton explained after the show. "When we want to empower women, we often reach for masculine codes, but I wanted to examine women's emotional depth, and the act of dressing and undressing."

Concealed appeal was also present, too, in an evening shirt in butter soft white leather. "All women vary," Burton said. "Sometimes when I’m casting, a model puts on an outfit and I can just tell that she prefers not to wear heels. Thus, I modify the ensemble."

Red Carpet Revival

Givenchy is reaffirming its position in high-profile occasion wear. Burton has styled actor Timothée Chalamet in a soft yellow tuxedo at the Oscar ceremony, and model Kaia Gerber in a classic ballerina-style gown of black lace at the Venice Film Festival.

The Revival of Schiaparelli

The fashion house Schiaparelli, the surrealist fashion label, has been experiencing a revival under the American designer Daniel Roseberry. Next year, the V&A will host the inaugural UK Schiaparelli showcase, exploring the work of designer Elsa Schiaparelli and the brand she created.

"Acquiring Schiaparelli is not about buying, you collect Schiaparelli," Roseberry remarked backstage.

Women who wear Schiaparelli don’t need an exhibition to tell them that these garments are artistic. Connection with the art world is beneficial for business – apparel is priced like fine art, with jackets starting at about £5,000. And revenue, as well as profile, is increasing. The location of the presentation was the Centre Pompidou in the French capital, a further indication of how deeply this fashion house is connected to the arts.

Echoing Past Artistic Alliances

Roseberry recalled one of the iconic joint efforts of Schiaparelli with surrealist master Dalí, the 1938 "Tears" gown which will appear in the V&A display. "This centered around revisiting the foundation of the fashion house," he noted.

The torn effects in the original were artistically applied, but for the contemporary take Roseberry cut into the crepe silk itself. In both, the shreds are hauntingly reminiscent of stripped tissue.

Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm

There is an edge of menace at Schiaparelli – The founder called her mannequins, with their angular shoulders and nipped-in waists, as her toy soldiers – as well as a cheerful embrace of wit. Buttons in the form of fingernails and golden noses hanging as ear accessories are the distinctive language of the brand. The punchline of this show: faux fur made from paintbrushes.

Surrealism pops up all over current fashion. Cracked-egg heels – treading carefully, understand? – were highly sought-after at the brand Loewe. Dali-esque wonky clocks have appeared on stage at the house of Moschino. But Schiaparelli owns this territory, and Roseberry oversees it.

"Designs by Schiaparelli feature an extreme drama which dominates the space," he stated. A crimson dress was cut with a triangular panel of skin-colored netting that was positioned approximately where underwear would typically be, in a startling illusion of bare skin. The balance between practicality and drama 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 the Parisian scene. The duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have left behind the Proenza Schouler brand they established in 2002 to lead Loewe, the Spanish leather goods brand that grew into a $1.5bn (£1.1bn) alpha name under the tenure of Jonathan Anderson before his departure to Dior.

The American creatives seemed ecstatic to be in the City of Light. Vibrant Ellsworth Kelly hues brought a cheerful pop art vibe to the in-the-know art smarts for which Loewe has become recognized. Vivid yellow slip-ons shook their tassels like Josephine Baker’s skirt; a crimson peplum blazer had the proud shiny curves of a ketchup bottle. And a party gown imitating 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.