The warm response to the American will have made one Frenchman happy. Under Rider’s predecessor Hedi Slimane, Celine was estimated to be the third-largest fashion house in the LVMH empire, owned by French billionaire Bernard Arnault.

Paris Couture Week begins with a striking moment as Cardi B appears in a custom Schiaparelli gown, holding a live crow

Wrapped in a custom Schiaparelli gown of graphic fringe, the U.S. rapper stood beneath the gilded columns of the Petit Palais, holding the black bird on her arm. Her avian plus one squawked, glared and nearly lunged — setting the tone for a monochrome show that itself soared straight into the surreal.