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Simultaneously with Taylor Swift, Sarah Burton stepped into her Showgirl phase. In her second collection as the creative director of Givenchy, Burton amplified the drama with collars dripping rhinestones over collarbones, rich peach-colored maribou plumes, a pocket-rocket cocktail dress in bold crimson leather, and supermodel Naomi Campbell in a tuxedo jacket draped over a barely-there lace trim bra.

Forging a Unique Path

Burton's tenure at Givenchy under a year, but the longtime associate of Alexander McQueen has swiftly crafted a distinctive character for the brand and for herself. Givenchy, the legendary domain of the actress Audrey Hepburn and the classic LBD, has a pristine heritage of glamour that stretches from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a smaller player as a business. Previous designers at the house had primarily focused on urban fashion and utility-coded metallic accents, but Burton is bringing back the sophistication.

"I wanted it to be provocative and alluring and to show skin," Burton noted after the show. "To strengthen women, we often turn to masculine elements, but I wanted to examine feminine sensibility, and the process of adorning and revealing."

There was covered-up allure, too, in a dress shirt in smooth white leather. "All women vary," Burton said. "Occasionally during casting, a model tries on a garment and I immediately sense that she doesn’t want to wear a heel. Therefore, I adjust the outfit."

Red Carpet Revival

Givenchy is re-establishing itself in celebrity event attire. Burton has dressed Timothée Chalamet in a soft yellow tuxedo at the Academy Awards, and Kaia Gerber in a classic ballerina-style gown of dark lace at the cinematic event in Venice.

Schiaparelli’s Artistic Comeback

The brand Schiaparelli, fashion’s house of surrealism, has been resurgent under the US-born creative director Daniel Roseberry. Next year, the V&A will host the premier British exhibition on Schiaparelli, examining the work of Elsa Schiaparelli and the house she founded.

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

Clients of Schiaparelli need no showcase to tell them that these designs are masterpieces. Connection with the art world is positive for revenue – garments carry art gallery price tags, with outerwear priced from approximately £5,000. And revenue, as well as visibility, is increasing. The setting for the event was the Pompidou Center in the French capital, an additional signal of how deeply this fashion house is connected to the arts.

Revisiting Iconic Collaborations

Roseberry recalled one of Elsa’s most famous collaborations with artist Salvador Dalí, the 1938 "Tears" gown which is set to feature in the V&A exhibition. "This centered around revisiting the foundation of the fashion house," he said.

The “rips” in the original were painted on, but for the contemporary take Roseberry cut into the silk fabric itself. In both, the shreds are hauntingly reminiscent of skinned skin.

Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm

A hint of danger exists at the Schiaparelli brand – Elsa described her mannequins, with their defined shoulders and nipped-in 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 iconic symbolism of the label. The highlight of this presentation: synthetic fur created using brushes.

Surrealist elements appear across modern style. Broken-egg footwear – treading carefully, understand? – were highly sought-after at the brand Loewe. Surrealist distorted timepieces have walked the catwalk at the house of Moschino. But Schiaparelli owns this territory, and Roseberry oversees it.

"Schiaparelli clothes have a heightened theatricality which dominates the space," he expressed. A crimson dress was sliced with a triangular piece of nude-hued fabric that was positioned approximately where a pair of knickers should, in a head-swivelling illusion of nakedness. The tension between wearability and theatre 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 French fashion world. Designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have left behind the Proenza Schouler brand they founded in 2002 to lead Loewe, the Spanish leather goods brand that grew into a $1.5bn (£1.1bn) alpha name under the leadership of Jonathan Anderson before his transition to Dior.

The Americans looked delighted to be in the City of Light. Bold colors inspired by Ellsworth Kelly brought an upbeat pop art aesthetic to the in-the-know art smarts for which Loewe now stands. Banana yellow loafers shook their tassels like the hem of Josephine Baker; a red peplum jacket had the confident glossy contours of a tomato sauce container. And a cocktail dress masquerading as a fresh-from-the-bath towel, plush as a newly washed cloth, found the perfect balance where smart creation blends with sartorial amusement.