On the very same day as the pop star Taylor Swift, 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 along the décolletage, opulent peach-toned feather accents, a sleek and short cocktail 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's tenure at Givenchy for a short period, but the longtime associate of Alexander McQueen has swiftly crafted a unique persona for the house and for herself. The Givenchy fashion house, the iconic residence of Audrey Hepburn and the little black dress, has a flawless lineage of elegance that runs from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a smaller player as a business. Previous designers at the house had mostly leaned into casual styles and functional metal embellishments, but Burton is reintroducing the allure.
"My intention was for it to be provocative and alluring and to expose flesh," Burton explained after the show. "To strengthen women, we often turn to masculine elements, but I wanted to look at feminine sensibility, and dressing and undressing."
Concealed appeal was also present, too, in a formal shirt in butter soft white leather. "Every woman is different," Burton commented. "At times when selecting models, a model dons a look and it becomes clear that she prefers not to wear heels. Therefore, I adjust the outfit."
Red Carpet Revival
Givenchy is re-establishing itself in high-profile occasion wear. Burton has dressed actor Timothée Chalamet in a soft yellow tuxedo at the Academy Awards, and model Kaia Gerber in a classic ballerina-style gown of dark lace at the cinematic event in Venice.
The Revival of Schiaparelli
Schiaparelli, fashion’s house of surrealism, has been experiencing a revival under the American designer Daniel Roseberry. In the coming year, the V&A Museum will host the premier British exhibition on Schiaparelli, exploring the work of designer Elsa Schiaparelli and the fashion house she established.
"You don’t buy Schiaparelli, it becomes a collection," Roseberry declared backstage.
Clients of Schiaparelli need no showcase to tell them that these clothes are art. Art-adjacency is beneficial for business – garments carry art gallery price tags, with blazers beginning around £5,000. And revenue, as well as reputation, is increasing. The location of the presentation was the Pompidou Center in Paris, a further indication of how deeply this fashion house is connected to the arts.
Returning to Historic Partnerships
Roseberry reexamined one of Elsa’s most famous collaborations with Salvador Dalí, the 1938 dress named "Tears" which is set to feature in the V&A exhibition. "This centered around revisiting the foundation of the house," he said.
The torn effects in the original were artistically applied, but for the contemporary take Roseberry cut into the silk crepe itself. In both designs, the rips are eerily suggestive of flayed flesh.
Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm
There is an edge of menace at the Schiaparelli brand – Elsa described her mannequins, with their defined shoulders and cinched waists, as her miniature army – as well as a gleeful delight in a joke. Fingernail-inspired fasteners and metallic nose ornaments as earrings are the visual grammar of the label. The punchline of this show: faux fur made from paintbrushes.
Surrealism pops up across modern style. Broken-egg footwear – walking on eggshells, understand? – were extremely popular at the fashion house Loewe. Surrealist distorted timepieces have appeared on stage at Moschino. But Schiaparelli dominates this domain, and Roseberry commands it.
"Designs by Schiaparelli feature an intense spectacle which dominates the space," he expressed. A scarlet ensemble was cut with a triangular piece of flesh-toned mesh that rested around the area a pair of knickers should, in a captivating deception of nakedness. The interplay of functionality and spectacle is all part of the show.New York Designers in Paris
A carousel of creative director launches has brought two darlings of New York to Paris. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have departed from the fashion house Proenza Schouler they established in 2002 to take over Loewe, the Spain-based leather label that expanded into a £1.1 billion leading brand under the leadership of Jonathan Anderson before he moved to Dior.
The US designers appeared thrilled to be in Paris. Vibrant Ellsworth Kelly hues brought a cheerful pop art vibe to the sophisticated art intelligence for which Loewe now stands. Bright yellow loafers swayed their tassels like the fringe of Baker's costume; a red peplum jacket had the proud shiny curves of a ketchup bottle. And a party gown imitating a fresh-from-the-bath towel, fluffy as a freshly laundered bath sheet, captured the sweet spot where innovative design intersects with stylish enjoyment.
