Givenchy fashion house has hired British fashion designer Sarah Burton, formerly the longtime design director of Alexander McQueen, as its new creative director, UNN reports citing The Wall Street Journal.
Details
The Parisian fashion house, founded in 1952, is known for its longstanding collaboration with Audrey Hepburn, who wore its models in films such as Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany's. The brand is part of the luxury conglomerate LVMH, owned by Bernard Arnault, one of the richest men in the world. Since January 1, when Matthew Williams left his post, it has not had a creative director.
Burton's first show for Givenchy will take place during Paris Fashion Week in March 2025. She will be responsible for the men's and women's collections.
In a press release announcing her appointment, Burton called Givenchy a jewel. The label's CEO Alessandro Valenti added that under Burton, "Givenchy will continue to innovate and captivate a large audience around the world.
Givenchy has been struggling to find a reliable creative hand in recent years. Burton will be the fourth creative director in the last decade. During her three years at Givenchy, her American predecessor Williams brought a brooding, street style to the brand that failed to win over critics and consumers alike.
Burton, 50, joined the bold British label Alexander McQueen right after graduating from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. For about a decade, the hardworking and quiet Burton worked as a deputy to the brand's founder and namesake. When McQueen died by suicide at the age of 40 in February 2010, she took over as head designer at the Kering-owned label.
Burton's vision at McQueen was characterized by wit and romance. Her dresses featured puffed sleeves with flounces, lace inserts, cascading peplum skirts, and dramatically cinched waists. Lady Gaga wore a Victorian-style corseted gown to the premiere of A Star Is Born in 2018, and Beyoncé wore several shimmering Burton pieces on stage during her Renaissance tour in 2023. The British designer was also, like McQueen before her, a master tailor who often included Savile Row-style costumes in her collections.
In 2011, Burton's place in fashion history was cemented when she designed the demure white lace wedding dress worn by Kate Middleton for her wedding to Prince William. The following year, Time named Burton one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Under Burton's leadership, McQueen also achieved significant commercial success. His steroidal platform sneakers helped catalyze the trend for chunky white shoes in the mid-2010s.
The designer left the brand in October last year after a stirring final show that drew a standing ovation from Kering chairman François-Henri Pinault and Cate Blanchett. By joining Givenchy LVMH after spending her entire career at the Kering-owned label, Burton is fueling competition for top creative talent between the world's biggest luxury rivals.
Addendum
Since LVMH acquired the brand in 1988, Givenchy has given innovative designers such as John Galliano and Riccardo Tisci the opportunity to expand their capabilities by appointing them to the position of creative director. McQueen himself spent several years as Givenchy's head designer, starting in 1996.
Today, in the LVMH portfolio, Givenchy is often considered a sleeping beauty with a legendary heritage, but one that does not carry the same financial weight as Dior. LVMH does not break down its financial results by brand, and in the press release on LVMH's results for the first half of 2024, the only mention of Givenchy was related to its perfume, not clothing.