On the very same day as Taylor Swift, designer Sarah Burton stepped into her Showgirl phase. During her second presentation as Givenchy designer, Burton turned up the volume with collars adorned with sparkling rhinestones across the collarbone area, luscious peach maribou feathers, a pocket-rocket cocktail dress in vibrant red leather, and Naomi Campbell in a formal tuxedo coat worn open over a scant lace-trimmed bra.
A New Identity
Burton has been at Givenchy for a short period, but the longtime associate of Alexander McQueen has quickly defined a distinctive character for the brand and for herself. The Givenchy fashion house, the iconic residence of Audrey Hepburn and the little black dress, has a pristine heritage of sophistication that stretches from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a smaller player as a business. Earlier creative directors had primarily focused on casual styles and utility-coded metallic accents, but Burton is reintroducing the allure.
"The goal was to create something seductive and intimate and to reveal the body," Burton explained after the show. "To strengthen women, we often turn to masculine elements, but I wanted to look at female emotional intelligence, 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 commented. "Occasionally during casting, a model tries on a garment and I immediately sense that she prefers not to wear heels. Thus, I modify the ensemble."
Return to Glamorous Events
Givenchy is rebuilding its presence in high-profile occasion wear. Burton has dressed Timothée Chalamet in a pale yellow formal suit at the Oscar ceremony, and Kaia Gerber in a classic ballerina-style gown of ebony lace at the Venice film festival.
Schiaparelli’s Artistic Comeback
The brand Schiaparelli, fashion’s house of surrealism, has been resurgent under designer Daniel Roseberry from America. In the coming year, the V&A Museum will host the inaugural UK Schiaparelli showcase, exploring the work of Elsa Schiaparelli and the house she founded.
"Acquiring Schiaparelli is not about buying, you collect Schiaparelli," Roseberry remarked backstage.
Those who don Schiaparelli require no exhibition to tell them that these clothes are art. Connection with the art world is beneficial for business – clothes come with gallery prices, with outerwear priced from approximately £5,000. And income, as well as reputation, is increasing. The location of the presentation was the Pompidou Center in the French capital, a further indication of how intimately this brand is linked to art.
Returning to Historic Partnerships
Roseberry reexamined one of the most renowned partnerships of Elsa with artist Salvador Dalí, the 1938 "Tears" gown which is set to feature in the V&A exhibition. "This was about returning to the origins of the brand," he said.
The torn effects in the original were painted on, but for the contemporary take Roseberry shredded the crepe silk itself. In both designs, the rips are eerily suggestive of flayed flesh.
Surreal Elements and Menacing Charm
A touch of threat is present at Schiaparelli – Elsa referred to her mannequins, with their angular shoulders and tailored waists, as her toy soldiers – as well as a gleeful delight in a joke. Buttons in the form of fingernails and golden noses hanging as ear accessories are the iconic symbolism of the label. The highlight of this presentation: synthetic fur created using brushes.
Surrealism pops up throughout contemporary fashion. Broken-egg footwear – navigating delicately, understand? – were a sellout at the fashion house Loewe. Dalí-inspired melting clocks have graced the runway at the house of Moschino. But Schiaparelli dominates this domain, and Roseberry commands it.
"Garments from Schiaparelli possess a heightened theatricality which dominates the space," he said. A red gown was adorned with a triangular piece of skin-colored netting that was positioned approximately where a pair of knickers should, in a startling illusion of bare skin. The interplay of functionality and spectacle is integral to the presentation.US Talents Take on Paris
A carousel of creative director launches has introduced two New York favorites to the Parisian scene. Designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have moved on from the fashion house Proenza Schouler they founded in 2002 to lead Loewe, the Spanish leather house that grew into a £1.1 billion leading brand under the leadership of Jonathan Anderson before his departure to Dior.
The American creatives seemed ecstatic to be in Paris. Ellsworth Kelly brights brought a joyful pop art sensibility to the sophisticated art intelligence for which Loewe now stands. Vivid yellow slip-ons swayed their tassels like the hem of Josephine Baker; a crimson peplum blazer had the proud shiny curves of a condiment vessel. And a cocktail dress masquerading as a recently used bath sheet, soft like a clean towel, found the perfect balance where innovative design intersects with stylish enjoyment.
