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On the very same day as the pop star Taylor Swift, designer Sarah Burton entered her Showgirl era. For her second outing as Givenchy designer, Burton heightened the intensity with collars dripping rhinestones over collarbones, rich peach-colored maribou plumes, a compact and striking evening dress in lipstick red leather, and supermodel Naomi Campbell in a tailored tuxedo blazer worn open over a minimalist lace-adorned bra.

Establishing a Fresh Direction

Burton has been at Givenchy for a short period, but the longtime associate of Alexander McQueen has already established a distinctive character for the house and for herself. The Givenchy label, the iconic residence of Audrey Hepburn and the little black dress, has a pristine heritage of sophistication that runs from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a modest entity as a business. Her recent predecessors had largely embraced casual styles and utility-coded metallic accents, but Burton is reviving the sophistication.

"The goal was to create something erotic and sensual and to expose flesh," Burton noted backstage. "In efforts to empower women, we often adopt male-inspired styles, but I wanted to look at 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 stated. "Sometimes when I’m casting, a model tries on a garment and I immediately sense that she prefers not to wear heels. So I change the look."

Reclaiming the Red Carpet

Givenchy is rebuilding its presence in celebrity event attire. Burton has outfitted actor Timothée Chalamet in a pale yellow formal suit at the Oscar ceremony, and Kaia Gerber in a classic ballerina-style gown of dark lace at the Venice film festival.

The Revival of Schiaparelli

The brand Schiaparelli, fashion’s house of surrealism, has been experiencing a revival under the US-born creative director Daniel Roseberry. The following year, the V&A will host the inaugural UK Schiaparelli showcase, exploring the work of the founder Elsa Schiaparelli and the fashion house she established.

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

Women who wear Schiaparelli need no showcase to tell them that these garments are artistic. Proximity to art is beneficial for business – garments carry art gallery price tags, with outerwear priced from approximately £5,000. And income, as well as profile, is rising. The location of the presentation was the Pompidou Centre in the French capital, another reminder of how close this house sits with art.

Revisiting Iconic Collaborations

Roseberry revisited one of the iconic joint efforts of Schiaparelli with artist Salvador Dalí, the 1938 dress named "Tears" which is set to feature in the V&A exhibition. "This was about returning to the origins of the fashion house," he said.

The shredded details in the initial design were artistically applied, but for the modern iteration Roseberry cut into the crepe silk itself. In both designs, the rips are eerily suggestive of stripped tissue.

Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm

There is an edge of menace at the Schiaparelli brand – Elsa described her mannequins, with their angular shoulders and nipped-in waists, as her plaything troops – as well as a cheerful embrace of wit. Nail-shaped buttons and gold noses dangling as earrings are the distinctive language of the label. The punchline of this show: faux fur made from paintbrushes.

Surrealist elements appear throughout contemporary fashion. Eggshell-inspired heels – navigating delicately, get it? – were highly sought-after at the fashion house Loewe. Dalí-inspired melting clocks have walked the catwalk at the Moschino label. But Schiaparelli dominates this domain, and Roseberry presides over it.

"Schiaparelli clothes have an extreme drama which dominates the space," he stated. A crimson dress was sliced with a geometric insert of flesh-toned mesh that was positioned approximately where briefs are usually located, in a startling illusion of bare skin. The interplay of functionality and spectacle is a key aspect of the event.

American Creatives in the French Capital

A whirlwind of new designer introductions has brought two darlings of New York to the French fashion world. The duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have moved on from their Proenza Schouler label they founded in 2002 to helm Loewe, the Spanish leather house that grew into a $1.5bn (£1.1bn) alpha name under the leadership of Jonathan Anderson before he moved to Dior.

The American creatives seemed ecstatic to be in the City of Light. Ellsworth Kelly brights brought a cheerful pop art vibe to the cultured artistic knowledge for which Loewe is currently known. Bright yellow loafers swayed their tassels like the hem of Josephine Baker; a crimson peplum blazer had the bold reflective shapes of a tomato sauce container. And a party gown imitating a recently used bath sheet, fluffy as a freshly laundered bath sheet, captured the sweet spot where innovative design intersects with stylish enjoyment.