As fashion’s insiders departed the courtyard of Hôtel de Caraman this morning post Sarah Burton’s debut for Givenchy, they were handed a dossier. Inside were the final fitting photographs from Burton’s 52 looks, complete with handwritten notes. There were descriptions of the four types of tulle it took to make the frothy limoncello-coloured A-line gown, one of the most arresting of the show. In another look, a note scribbled next to a black couture blazer described it as “feminine but using masculine techniques.”
That’s the thing about Sarah Burton — her designs have always had a honesty and transparency that have made them easy to love. She designs from the heart, as did her former mentor. After 26 years at McQueen, 13 served as creative director, she left in 2023 before being announced as Givenchy’s new designer. Her work has always been rooted in creative discussion between hard and soft: razor-cut tailored suits, floral-print gowns that fluted out at the hip. She's known for meditating on the complex nature of femininity, and today was no exception.
Starting with model Binx Walton in a skintight catsuit with the brand name and the year 1952 (when Hubert De Givenchy established the house) embroidered across the chest, Burton seemed to be acknowledging the brand’s genesis. “To go forward, you have to go back to the beginning,” she explained in show notes. In the next few looks, we started to see her write her own story with a series of closely-cut blazers and longer-length jackets, single-breasted with nipped-in waists that felt confident enough to be presented with few to no accessories. Burton found momentum grounding the collection in dresses — the strategy Givenchy took in his own debut decades ago.
Models sashayed down the catwalk in flirty, strapless dresses in ivory and black with swinging trains. A modern take on a fishnet dress with a below-the-knee peplum came in both yellow and white. Moments of severity came from the leather looks. A part-puffer-part-pencil-skirt leather dress with silver accents and a biker mini flirted with a sexier ideal for the Givenchy woman. Those looking closely could spy a reworking of the Oscars gown that longtime Burton supporter Elle Fanning wore at the ceremony this past Sunday. The accessories added some much needed whimsy; easy wristlets, oversized crystal earrings, and fuzzy red sandals broke up a collection of looks that could otherwise have felt too serious.
But the power in Burton is that she understands the dualities of being a woman: the hard and the soft, the serious and the not so, the choice to conceal and expose. She designs with the comfort and ease of her woman front of mind. She’s clearly still establishing her point of view, what codes she will carry on, carry over and build upon but she’s got the good will of the industry behind her. As the models walked the finale, the crowd erupted into cheers and rapturous applause. It was a warm welcome for a designer whose presence and perspective has clearly been missed.
Givenchy autumn/winter 2025
