Givenchy’s Next Chapter

Hotly anticipated, after three seasons without an artistic director, Givenchy’s autumn-winter collection marks the arrival of Sarah Burton at its helm. After more than a decade continuing the legacy of Alexander McQueen, whom she worked under for a decade prior, Burton lands at Givenchy with a fortuitous following primed for her next chapter.

On a sunny spring day in Paris, at 3 Avenue Georges V, guests gathered on brown paper pattern boxes to see the collection unveiled. The first look set the tone: Burton’s mastery of cut and champion of femininity captured in a mesh catsuit printed with the date of Givenchy’s debut couture show in 1952 (a nod to the brand’s heritage), in a typeface taken from an original Stockman dummy. “To go forward, you have to go back to the beginning,” says Burton. “To me, that's about the atelier. It's the heart and soul of Givenchy.”

“I want to address everything about modern women. Strength, vulnerability, emotional intelligence, feeling powerful or very sexy. All of it,” said Burton of the collection. “It’s my natural instinct to go back to pattern-cutting, to craftsmanship. To cut, shape and proportion. It’s what I feel, how I work, and want to do.”

To her point, the tailoring throughout is impeccable. Hourglass coats and jackets create streamlined silhouettes, while herringbone trouser suits and knockout leather two-pieces are cut to precision. Lemon and butter yellows broke the monochrome, with exaggerated bows, tulle dresses and skirts flirting with flamboyance. A joyful debut in every respect.