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.

Amid a record-breaking heatwave in the City of Lights, fashion designers prepare their pièce de résistance for Paris Haute Couture Week, which runs from 7-10 July.