Sarah Burton Elevates the Sophistication at the House of Givenchy in the City of Paris

On the very same day as the pop star Taylor Swift, designer Sarah Burton embarked on her Showgirl period. During her second presentation as the creative director of Givenchy, Burton turned up the volume with collars dripping rhinestones over collarbones, luscious peach maribou feathers, a pocket-rocket cocktail dress in bold crimson leather, and supermodel Naomi Campbell in a formal tuxedo coat worn open over a scant lace-trimmed bra.

Forging a Unique Path

Burton's tenure at Givenchy under a year, but Alexander McQueen’s long-term right-hand woman has quickly defined a distinctive character for the house and for herself. The Givenchy label, the legendary domain of Audrey Hepburn and the classic LBD, has a flawless lineage of sophistication that runs from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a relative minnow as a business. Her recent predecessors had largely embraced urban fashion and functional metal embellishments, but Burton is bringing back the glamour.

"The goal was to create something seductive and intimate and to reveal the body," Burton said following the presentation. "To strengthen women, we often reach for masculine codes, but I wanted to explore feminine sensibility, and the act of dressing and undressing."

There was covered-up allure, too, in an evening shirt in smooth white leather. "Each woman is unique," Burton stated. "Occasionally during casting, a model dons a look and it becomes clear that she prefers not to wear heels. So I change the look."

Red Carpet Revival

Givenchy is rebuilding its presence in high-profile occasion wear. Burton has outfitted Timothée Chalamet in a butter yellow tuxedo 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 making a comeback under designer Daniel Roseberry from America. In the coming year, the V&A Museum will host the premier British exhibition on Schiaparelli, examining the work of designer Elsa Schiaparelli and the house she founded.

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

Those who don Schiaparelli require no exhibition to tell them that these designs are masterpieces. Art-adjacency is good for the bottom line – apparel is priced like fine art, with outerwear priced from approximately £5,000. And profits, as well as visibility, is rising. The venue for the show was the Pompidou Center in Paris, a further indication of how close this house sits with art.

Revisiting Iconic Collaborations

Roseberry recalled one of the iconic joint efforts of Schiaparelli with Salvador Dalí, the 1938 dress named "Tears" which is set to feature in the V&A exhibition. "This centered around going back to the roots of the house," he noted.

The torn effects in the original were carefully rendered, but for the updated version Roseberry shredded the silk fabric itself. In both, the tears are chillingly evocative of flayed flesh.

Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm

A touch of threat is present at the Schiaparelli house – Elsa described her mannequins, with their sharp shoulders and tailored waists, as her plaything troops – as well as a gleeful delight in a joke. Nail-shaped buttons and gold noses dangling as earrings are the distinctive language of the brand. The punchline of this show: faux fur made from paintbrushes.

Surrealist elements appear throughout contemporary fashion. Cracked-egg heels – treading carefully, get it? – were highly sought-after at the brand Loewe. Dalí-inspired melting clocks have graced the runway at the Moschino label. But Schiaparelli owns this territory, and Roseberry presides over it.

"Garments from Schiaparelli possess a heightened theatricality which sucks the air out of the room," he said. A scarlet ensemble was adorned with a triangular piece of skin-colored netting that was positioned approximately where briefs are usually located, in a head-swivelling illusion of nudity. The balance between practicality and drama is all part of the show.

New York Designers in Paris

A whirlwind of new designer introductions has welcomed two NYC stars to the Parisian scene. Designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have left behind their Proenza Schouler label they created in 2002 to lead Loewe, the Spanish leather goods brand that evolved into a £1.1 billion leading brand under the direction of Jonathan Anderson before he moved to Dior.

The US designers appeared thrilled to be in Paris, France. Vibrant Ellsworth Kelly hues brought a joyful pop art sensibility to the cultured artistic knowledge for which Loewe is currently known. Banana yellow loafers swayed their tassels like Josephine Baker’s skirt; a scarlet fitted jacket had the bold reflective shapes of a ketchup bottle. And a party gown imitating a just-out-of-the-shower towel wrap, soft like a clean towel, captured the sweet spot where innovative design intersects with stylish enjoyment.