10-word show review: Sensual and sleek eveningwear with cues to Givenchy’s rich history
Designer: Matthew M. Williams
Location: L’École Militaire
The vision: Turning against the tides of the streetwear inspirations of past collections, it is clear that Matthew M. Williams’s Givenchy is going through a metamorphosis. Instead of looking outwards at the subcultures of today, the house’s spring/summer 2024 collection chose to be more introspective. References to archives were plenty, topped off with Williams’s penchant for nowness embedded in his modifications of well-loved Givenchy classics.
The vibe: Greeting attendees beyond the gates of L’Ecole Militaire was an open wall tent in white. Against the backdrop of the busy and adorned city that is Paris, the pristine structure stood out in full focus. Designed by famed architect Gabriel Calatrava, it is as though Williams sought to speak through his collaborator that this collection is ushering in a new facet of Givenchy: a clean slate if you will call it.
Signature silhouettes: Coats and blazers had a strict, almost architectural rigour to them, adding welcomed contrasts when layered over filmy dresses washed in the palest of shades. Some bore delicate prints of pansies, iris and intricate sprays of gypsophila, which didn’t feel like a recognisable proposition of the designer’s work. Nevertheless, the precision and the drapes were something to marvel at. As for the standouts from the show? All eyes were on a wrap leather skirt that hinged off the hips as well as a split-front variant of Givenchy’s famous little black dress, bearing the true essence of the designer yet paying homage to the founder of the house. Eveningwear seems to be the crux of Williams’s silhouettes this season and such cues to the founder’s timeless designs signals great things to come in the future seasons of the creative director’s celebrated tenure.
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Look 1, Givenchy SS24
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Look 6, Givenchy SS24
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Look 10, Givenchy SS24
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Look 29, Givenchy SS24
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Look 31, Givenchy SS24
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Look 36, Givenchy SS24
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Look 41, Givenchy SS24
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Look 43, Givenchy SS24
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Look 46, Givenchy SS24
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