So Luxe. Givenchy Resort 2019

May 19, 2018May 18, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

It took me a while to fall in love with Clare Waight Keller‘s refined vision at Givenchy, true. But her resort 2019 collection is fire in terms of both, womenswear and menswear. That luxe feeling behind the faux fur coat, slouched boots and kimono-inspired varsity jackets is nothing ground-breaking, yes, but the effect is sublime. Clare delivers classical elegance, which feels both contemporary (satin hoodies there, slouch pants there) and true to the house’s heritage simultaneously. That black & white mini-dress is quintessentially Hubert De Givenchy. Shortly, that’s a delightful set of looks, styled by the greatest Suzanne Koller. I actually can’t wait what Waight Keller plans for the main collection – a tribute to the late founder of the house is probably in progress.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

What’s Hot (19.4.18)

Image | April 19, 2018April 14, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Seduction. Givenchy AW18

March 8, 2018March 8, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Clare Waight Keller‘s second season at Givenchy looks definitely more promising than the first one. The Hunger and B Movie: Lust and Sound in West-Berlin, 1979-1989 were on the designer’s mood-board. Weimar-era non-chalance of Berliners was also on her mind. The effect was eternally chic, seductive. And, quite intriguing. The ‘sleazy’ faux-fur coats, as Clare called them, were all over the show, and just note how beautiful they look belted. The collection also subtly nods to Hubert de Givenchy signature, the Little Black Dress (here elegantly ornamented with a huge bow). Also, I adored the way the ‘waterfall’ dresses in the evening section (as if anything here could be easily called ‘daywear’…) beautifully flowed down the models’ bodies. Even though it’s still too early to truly capture Waight Keller’s vision for Givenchy – which is rather dark, than light – she might be on the right path.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Elegance. Givenchy Haute Couture SS18

January 24, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Sublime. Unpretentious. Elegant. Those were the first words that dropped in my mind while watching Clare Waight Keller‘s debut haute couture show for Givenchy. Back in October, I was on fence with her first ready-to-wear collection for the house – it felt like lacking any direction, taking clues from Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent era. But with this simply beautiful couture outing, I’m quite sure that Clare is finding her path at Givenchy. Moving away from her boho Chloé days for good, the designer gracefully revisited Hubert de Givenchy’s archives and delivered a line up of masterfully cut eveningwear. Forget futile venues; focus on the garments. She studied “the structure and graphism Hubert had in his work at the beginning.” And then, she indulged herself fully in it and got on with working with the atelier team in “the complete freedom couture offers.” From all-black looks to very fine-looking latex creations, I think there won’t be much of a problem with selection of the looks for the red carpet goers (think Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara). I really hope to see that orange feather bomb in action, as well.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Basics. Givenchy SS18

October 3, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

I don’t want to spark a mood of competitiveness, but what Natascha Ramsay-Levi did at Chloé, replacing Clare Waight Keller, and what did the latter do at Givenchy, is just incomparable. I had big hopes that once landing at Givenchy, Waight Keller might leave her boho dresses era behind and go a new path. Well, she did. But her debut collection felt just… boring. Watching it, I felt nothing. Riccardo Tisci’s very printed, pro-millennial and Kardashian-y phase has been completely wiped out (for good), but the new Givenchy feels like Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent, just a bit more ‘proper’ – a bit glam, a bit rock, a bit of ‘French chic’. In overall, you can forget majority of the looks on the next day.

According to Clare, she dived into Hubert de Givenchy’s archives to catch up with the brand’s original roots. There were references to dress silhouettes from 1961 and shades of famous pastel-blue ‘Bettina’ blouse (the ruffle-trimmed piece from 1952 that launched Hubert’s career); the iconic Little Black Dress, worn with a Givenchy tag first in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, was rejuvenated with some pussy-bows and transparent sleeves; the lip motif, that covered mini-skirts, appeared to be also an archive find. But what’s the sense of moulding a collection out of archive codes, if in the end it looks like a line-up of very basic, commercially forward clothes (that don’t differ from many other brands, in fact)? There should be at least a bit the designer’s stamp. Oh, Clare. That was a mild debut. Big hopes for something more ‘authentic’ the next time.