Clare Waight Keller's new Givenchy

Remembering dressing his long-term muses, which included Hollywood heavyweights and social butterflies, Hubert de Givenchy revealed that, "the little black dress is the hardest thing to realise, because you must keep it simple." The aristocratic couturier established his eponymous brand in 1952; since retiring in 1995 the house of Givenchy has been anything but simple. Following a roll-call of international creative directors – including John Galliano and Alexander McQueen - Riccardo Tisci took to the helm in 2005. The designer paid scant interest to the brand's noble heritage, instead setting out to create a new Givenchy for present day icons. Tisci's best-selling collections looked to his own upbringing in a coastal town in Italy's catholic south, sportswear, contemporary pop culture and subcultures for creative input.

Although Tisci revived the label - which was acquired by LVMH in 1988 - he couldn’t have been further away from a brand whose original muse was Audrey Hepburn. The feline-featured British actress encapsulated the French maison's patrician type of elegance; she made that ‘little black dress’ and the designer's revolutionary collection of separates that could be mixed and matched or worn on their own, world-famous. Tisci instead anointed icons of social media and popular culture as his muses; both Kim Kardashian and Beyonce have attended the annual Met Ball in his creations.

In a season of Paris debuts, all eyes were on Clare Waight Keller yesterday morning, as the newly appointed British guardian of the legendary Parisian brand showed her first mens- and womenswear collection. LVMH are considering the heritage brand for further investment, as the conglomerate identifies additional growth. It was somewhat of a surprise when Waight Keller was announced creative director in March 2017; her easy-to-wear Chloe collections being the antithesis Tisci's structured and dramatic designs for Givenchy. However, Waight Keller, whose previous posts include Calvin Klein and Gucci (under Tom Ford) has referred to her own streetwear credentials, pointing out that, “I lived in New York for 10 years".

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The setting for the show was the 19th century Palais de Justice which has previously never been used for a show and is now Givenchy’s exclusively for the next three years. Its Romanesque inspired columns and use of light point both backwards and forwards. Keller is looking to the future whilst acknowledging Givenchy’s past. In her show notes, Waight Keller described how her collection is a transformation of seduction, and how fashion ‘transforms the spirit through a new attitude for new beginnings”.

There were definite nods to Hubert de Givenchy’s Hepburn wardrobe in the collection, but these archival finds were given a contemporary twist. Scalloped shouldered dresses were paired with hardwearing cowboy boots, their snakeskin heel lending a grittier edge. There were also sixties inspired mini- skirts and stripy Twiggy sweaters with Givenchy branding. Givenchy’s signature Bettina blouse was given an eighties twist with big shoulders and cinched waists – adding a rock n’ roll attitude to a tailored classic. A red leather mac with outsized shoulders and cinched at the waist was a standout piece. The menswear was sharp and skinny: skinny trousers, fitted jackets and waistcoats teamed up with coloured Chelsea boots made of red, whites and black leather borrowed from rock icons the likes of Nick Cave and a young Mick Jagger.

Vibrant colours formed a big part of the collection, including reds and blues set against clean whites - as well as the ubiquitous black. Hubert de Givenchy may have used the most noble of fibres for his haute couture creations; Waight Keller added black snow washed denim to her repertoire. Elsewhere, double denim outfits struck a commerical note. In Givenchy's archives, Waight Keller had spotted exotic animal prints, which made a comeback in 2017 as part of both mens- and womenswear looks. At Chloe, Waight Keller launched numerous best-selling bags, a track record that she is likely to continue at Givenchy. With a busy woman in mind, the designer created the GV3. Multi-pocketed and with a simple catch, the new Givenchy bag is easy to use yet elegant.

The celebrities on Keller's busy front row summed up the new Givenchy. Actresses Rooney O’Mara, Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett were a nod to the Parisian's maison's chic Hollywood legacy; Keller's rock'n'roll tendencies were epitomised by Fergie, the edgy frontwoman of the Black Eyed Peas. Keller’s Givenchy debut is a collection that will sell to both.