Givenchy Needs a Leader

Whether it be inventing the sack dress, a Rottweiler tee popularized by figures like Ye or a pristine white wedding dress worn by Meghan Markle, Givenchy has continued to be one of the largest houses in fashion. However, the luxury label has endured an extended period of turnover following the golden Riccardo Tisci era given the three-year stints of its last two creative directors, Clare Waight Keller and Matthew Williams. It’s difficult for most designers to completely transform a house within a few years, so the result has left the house in a transitory stage. So the lingering question is: How can Givenchy get back to its previous level of widespread popularity?

The golden era of Givenchy started in 2005 with Riccardo Tisci who served as the creative director until 2017. Holding the lead design role for the longest in the brand’s history behind Hubert de Givenchy himself, Tisci brought a new identity to the French house – one designed by a contemporary, sensual and romantic personality. Although Tisci was not largely known before his appointment – working for companies like Puma, Antonio Berardi and Ruffo Research – his widespread success at the house not only reinvigorated the brand but built a well-respected reputation for Tisci himself.

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Kevin Mazur/Child2014/Antonio De Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images

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Kevin Mazur/Child2014/Antonio De Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images

Tisci successfully maneuvered the pop culture landscape due to his relationships with celebrity clients spanning the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian, Ye, Madonna, Erykah Badu and Jessica Chastain. Highlight moments from the Gienchy Tisci era included costumes for Madonna’s Sweet & Sticky Tour, popular graphic prints like those on his standout dog tees, Ye’s leather kilt for the Watch the Throne Tour, Kim Kardashian and Ye’s wedding looks and Tisci’s Nike Air Force 1 collaboration. Upon his exit in 2017, it was reported by multiple sources like WWD and The New York Times that sales revenue grew to $539 million USD.

After Tisci’s departure, Clare Weight Keller took the reigns until 2020 – previously hailing from Chloé and Gucci. Keller’s appointment marked a historic moment for the house as she became its first woman creative director. At the house, Keller brought in a sense of elegance that looked to remodel the modern man and woman. Even with her short three-year stint, Keller managed to update the Givenchy woman and provide a more fluid definition of Givenchy menswear alongside exhibiting a robustly elegant vision of haute couture. But the highlight of her tenure was a minimalist white wedding dress designed for Meghan Markle.

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Next in line after Keller was Matthew Williams who took over in 2020 – a seemingly wild card decision for the creative director role. Aside from his label 1017 ALYX 9SM, assuming the creative director role at Givenchy was the first time Williams led a large luxury label, let alone a European heritage brand. Known for his street-leaning aesthetic, Williams brought a darker edge to the house. But even aside from the new clientele Williams brought to the Givenchy sphere, his short tenure was met with mixed reviews. His Givenchy didn’t establish a focal style; the house never boasted about glowing sales, and the designer also did not reignite the couture arm. So given an overall questionable three years upon his departure at the end of 2023, the creative director-less house now remains in limbo. Although Givenchy has not commented on who it’s considering or if a choice has been made, there are a few names in the industry that might just have what it takes to turn the tide at the French house.

Simon Porte Jacquemus

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Jacquemus

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Jacquemus

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Jacquemus

One name that stands out is Simon Porte Jacquemus. Since founding his eponymous label, Jacquemus has grown tremendously in the fashion landscape due to its romantically effortless style, signature handbags and beautiful destination runway shows. Although the intent is unknown, last December the designer posted a picture to Instagram with the caption “Chez Hubert de Givenchy,” which sent speculations into overdrive about him assuming the empty seat.

To date, Porte Jacquemus has had widespread success with his eponymous label, even becoming the youngest fashion designer ever to be named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres earlier this year (the highest French ministerial award for cultural achievement) and has yet to lead another brand. From a taste level, the designer has the expertise for ready-to-wear and perhaps even couture at a large heritage brand given his affinity for calm elegance that uses lines and shapes as creators of personality – something Hubert de Givenchy himself did very well.

Aside from design, Jacquemus has crafted a beautiful, genuine and forward-facing marketing strategy. On the campaign front, highlights have seen Bad Bunny’s posed elegance for the “Les Sculptures” campaign alongside the beautiful beaches of Rio de Janeiro for SS23. Beyond that, Jacquemus has proven its golden strategy for surrealist marketing – ranging from a 500-meter-long pink runway embedded within a French lavender field to exaggerated “La Chapeau Bomba” hats to even bus-like Bambino handbags driving down the streets of Paris (digitally, of course). Therefore, Porte Jacquemus’ romantic design style and agency in pop culture similar to Hubert de Givenchy alongside his cultural fluency and marketing chops might be just what the French house needs.

Sarah Burton

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Alexander Mcqueen

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Alexander Mcqueen

Sarah Burton also stands out as a strong potential candidate to lead Givenchy. Recently leaving the creative director role at Alexander McQueen, which she held for 13 years, Burton remains a highly skilled designer in the industry. Although not quite old-guard, the Instagramless designer represents an age where design skillset and creativity came first, not social media capital. So where houses today have constantly cycled between designers because of that shifted focus, Burton’s ability to not just design, but create a clear design perspective remains a highly covetable skill.

Since her 1997 graduation from Central Saint Martins, Burton has only worked at Alexander McQueen – holding the Head of Womenswear and Creative Director titles during her time – and working alongside Alexander McQueen himself no less. Given McQueen’s role as the creative director of Givenchy from 1996 to 2001, placing Burton in the seat would be a full-circle moment. Alongside inventing her vision of the Givenchy man and woman, it would be interesting to see Burton reinvent core archival McQueen-era Givenchy pieces for the modern day. Because of this, Burton at Givenchy would be the first time the fashion world would see the respected designer’s creativity flourish in a new way.

Haider Ackermann

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Stefania D’alessandro/Francois Guillot/Julien Hekimian/Getty Images

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Stefania D’alessandro/Francois Guillot/Julien Hekimian/Getty Images

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Stefania D’alessandro/Francois Guillot/Julien Hekimian/Getty Images

Another solid contender is the Colombian-born French designer Haider Ackermann. Known for his eponymous label that presents an exquisite vision of layered tailoring, Ackermann remains a reserved, yet deeply respected name in fashion. But what’s particularly interesting about Ackermann’s career is that aside from a three-season stint at Berluti, the designer has never led a larger luxury house, despite being a continuously discussed candidate.

For example, Ackermann has been approached to lead houses like Dior and Maison Margiela. Karl Lagerfeld also commented on Ackermann as his ideal successor at Chanel. Ackermann was also the guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 2023 Haute Couture collection. Beyond that, standout wearers of his creations include Janet Jackson, Tilda Swinton, Ye, Victoria Beckham and Timothée Chalamet.

Two of Ackermann’s core muses have been actors Tilda Swinton and Timotheé Chalamet. Ackermann and Swinton have been longtime friends, about two decades to be exact. So over the years, Swinton’s undeniably elegant and sometimes otherworldly image has been significantly at the hands of the Colombian-born French designer. Whether it be several Cannes Film Festivals Tokyo Fashion Week, the Gotham Independent Film Awards or even the Marrakech International Film Festival, Swinton often graces the red carpet in her friend’s designs. Because of this, Swinton’s fans and fashion enthusiasts alike expect the actor to wear the designer – cementing Ackermann’s core role in crafting Swinton’s regal image.

Much like Swinton, Ackermann has carved the fashion image of rising actor Timothée Chalamet. Keen on donning monochromatic looks, Chalamet has worn Ackerman to the Venice Film Festival, the premiere of The King, the premiere of Bones and All and the London premiere of Dune: Part Two. Although each has turned eyes in its own right, highlights are the sleek silver/gray suit and the red metallic halter top with matching pants. Even as Chalemet’s red carpet looks have grown to encompass other designers, Ackermann has been a core driver in the actor’s style evolution – much like Tisci was able to play a pivotal role in Ye’s style evolution. Given Ackermann’s history, design prowess and affinity for building visions of timeless style, Ackermann could also make an excellent designer leader for Givenchy.