Givenchy unveils first collection by Clare Waight Keller
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British designer Clare Waight Keller stole the limelight with the most high profile debut this Paris fashion week. On Sunday morning the house of Givenchy officially said goodbye to its haute-goth aesthetic after 12 years under the creative direction of Ricardo Tisci, welcoming in a new era with Waight Keller’s lighter and more versatile collection.
Waight Keller, who left Chloé earlier this year, brought none of the whimsical parlance from her previous brand, opting instead for a collection that was “urban with polish,” as the designer noted backstage. “Fashion is a tool for self-metamorphosis,” said a quote from the press notes that were titled “Transformation and Seduction” and placed on everyone’s seat.
Givenchy parent company LVMH will be delighted by the show’s reviews, which has largely been hailed a commercial success, as the 600 million euro company is gearing up for greater expansion.
Waight Keller is the company’s first female creative director, proving British designers are integral to Paris fashion week, which also includes Phoebe Philo at Celine and Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, all on the week’s hotlist of runway shows.
So what did Waight Keller bring aesthetically? The best cowboy boots of any fashion week this season, which came sparkly tipped in a myriad of leathers and colour variations, and a plethora of sumptuous asymmetric dresses. Clothes-wise, she mixed her catwalk with menswear and womenswear, showing a crossover of styles between the sexes, like a sky blue and black striped knit or the way the colour red was accented, like a singular sleeve in an otherwise black jacket. The Givenchy woman next season will be dressed in gold lip-printed miniskirts, leather blouson jackets, asymmetric cocktail dresses and slim-fitted tailoring.