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Coinciding with Taylor Swift, designer Sarah Burton entered her Showgirl era. In her second collection as Givenchy designer, Burton amplified the drama with collars adorned with sparkling rhinestones across the collarbone area, rich peach-colored maribou plumes, a sleek and short cocktail dress in vibrant red leather, and Naomi Campbell in a tailored tuxedo blazer left open over a minimalist lace-adorned bra.

A New Identity

Burton has been at Givenchy under a year, but the former key collaborator at McQueen has quickly defined a new identity for the house and for herself. Givenchy, the iconic residence of the actress Audrey Hepburn and the classic LBD, has a pristine heritage of glamour that runs from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a smaller player as a business. Previous designers at the house had mostly leaned into urban fashion and functional metal embellishments, but Burton is reintroducing the sophistication.

"I wanted it to be seductive and intimate and to show skin," Burton said backstage. "To strengthen women, we often turn to masculine elements, but I wanted to explore women's emotional depth, and the act of dressing and undressing."

Concealed appeal was also present, 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 is uncomfortable in high heels. Therefore, I adjust the outfit."

Return to Glamorous Events

Givenchy is rebuilding its presence in high-profile occasion wear. Burton has outfitted Timothée Chalamet in a pale yellow formal suit at the Oscar ceremony, and model Kaia Gerber in a vintage-feel ballerina gown of dark lace at the cinematic event in Venice.

The Revival of Schiaparelli

The fashion house Schiaparelli, the surrealist fashion label, has been making a comeback under designer Daniel Roseberry from America. Next year, the Victoria and Albert Museum will host the first major British Schiaparelli exhibition, looking at the work of the founder Elsa Schiaparelli and the fashion house she established.

"Acquiring Schiaparelli is not about buying, you collect pieces from Schiaparelli," Roseberry declared backstage.

Clients of Schiaparelli need no showcase to tell them that these clothes are art. Connection with the art world is good for the bottom line – clothes come with gallery prices, with jackets starting at about £5,000. And profits, as well as reputation, is increasing. The location of the presentation was the Centre Pompidou in the French capital, a further indication of how close this house sits with art.

Returning to Historic Partnerships

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

The torn effects in the original were painted on, but for the modern iteration Roseberry tore into the crepe silk itself. In both, the tears are chillingly evocative of flayed flesh.

Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm

There is an edge of menace at the Schiaparelli brand – The founder called her mannequins, with their angular shoulders and cinched waists, as her miniature army – as well as a joyful appreciation for humor. Nail-shaped buttons and golden noses hanging as ear accessories are the distinctive language of the label. The standout feature of this event: synthetic fur created using brushes.

Surrealist elements appear throughout contemporary fashion. Broken-egg footwear – walking on eggshells, geddit? – were extremely popular at the fashion house Loewe. Surrealist distorted timepieces have appeared on stage at Moschino. But Schiaparelli owns this territory, and Roseberry commands it.

"Designs by Schiaparelli feature a heightened theatricality which dominates the space," he said. A crimson dress was adorned with a triangular panel of nude-hued fabric that was positioned approximately where briefs are usually located, in a head-swivelling illusion of bare skin. The interplay of functionality and spectacle is integral to the presentation.

American Creatives in the French Capital

A whirlwind of new designer introductions has welcomed two NYC stars to the Parisian scene. The duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have departed from the Proenza Schouler brand they created in 2002 to lead 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 Americans looked delighted to be in Paris. Vibrant Ellsworth Kelly hues brought an upbeat pop art aesthetic to the sophisticated art intelligence for which Loewe now stands. Banana yellow loafers shook their tassels like the fringe of Baker's costume; a red peplum jacket had the proud shiny curves of a tomato sauce container. And an evening dress disguised as a recently used bath sheet, fluffy as a freshly laundered bath sheet, captured the sweet spot where clever design meets fashion fun.