Paris Couture Week 2025 opened with a surreal moment as Cardi B appeared in a Schiaparelli gown, holding a live crow outside the Petit Palais.
Cardi B stepped out at the Petit Palais in a custom Schiaparelli gown – bold, fringed, and black. What stole everyone’s attention was not her dress but the live crow sitting on her arm. Feathers puffed, eyes scanning the crowd, the bird squawked and flinched, making photographers back up. The moment was captured at the opening show of the Paris Couture Week, ABC News reported.
Cardi B’s Schiaparelli is the latest in the fashion house’s list of dramatic ensembles. Elsa Schiaparelli, the founder of the house, built her legacy on fashion that leaned toward the absurd. Lobster dresses, hats shaped like shoes, unexpected textures, objects placed where they didn’t belong – and that was the point. Her clothes played with ideas, not just shapes.
Daniel Roseberry, the brand’s current artistic director, has kept that legacy intact. His Fall 2025 couture show unfolded in stark black and white, draining away every bit of color to focus on structure and emotion.
Inside, the show had the feel of a moody film. There was sharp tailoring, oversized silhouettes, and dresses that looked like sculptures in motion. Metallics caught the light in flickers. But the real shift came in how the clothes moved.
Also read: Cardi B deletes all of Stefon Diggs’ photos from her Instagram amid break-up rumors
Roseberry let go of his usual corset-heavy aesthetic, as the past collections were known for extreme body shaping. This time, the designs breathed. They had rhythm and flexibility. It felt like a release, not a break from tradition, but an evolution of it.
The designer told ABC News the inspiration came from Elsa’s 1940 escape from Nazi-occupied Paris to New York, where she left everything behind. That moment – between destruction and survival – inspired the entire show.
The Petit Palais hosted the show, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Inside, there’s currently an exhibit on Charles Worth – the British designer who basically invented haute couture by bringing artistry to French fashion.
The contrast made sense. In rooms dedicated to craft and tradition, Schiaparelli offered a glimpse of the future. And not a digital one, but something handcrafted, strange, and real.
Since its relaunch a decade ago, Schiaparelli has become a favorite on red carpets and found commercial stability, which is a rare thing in couture. But its real power is still the sense of surprise.
And on opening day, as Cardi B’s crow flapped and shrieked, it was clear that Schiaparelli doesn’t just make clothes, it creates moments.
Credit: hindustantimes
