Matthew M. Williams - Designer, Creative Director of Givenchy

[jeanclaude]

My guess is that lvmh conducts a lot of research and collects a lot of consumer and market insights which they use to plot business strategies for their various brands.

My guess is that LVMH execs are so drunk of Hennesy and Möet Chandon, that they hire the first moron they find.... as long as he has good connections (i.e. Matthew).

 

[avonlea002]

It will never happen but I would love to see Lacroix design a Givenchy collection. His collaboration with Dries proves he still has it.

 

[Kimihiro]

The problem with Givenchy going much upmarket is they need to cull distribution first and close many stores. They’ve been so exposed to outlets and discounts it will be an uphill battle. Not to mention their stores look like they carry outlet merch with those infinite logo tshirt stuff.

I really find it funny that we’re already eulogizing MMW’s tenure. I kind of want him to stay for the sheer chaos and confusion.

 

[blueorchid]

I really find it funny that we’re already eulogizing MMW’s tenure. I kind of want him to stay for the sheer chaos and confusion.

Don't worry, it's not just you. I'm still disappointed he hasn't tried his hand at a couture collection. Can you imagine? I need a REAL laugh. He'd make Virginie look like Vionnet.

 

[Nimsay]

Jacquemus still being a thing lets you know how bad fashion is. He won't be around in a few years. That stupid micro bag extended his 15 mins.

 

[Nimsay]

IMO Givenchy going ahead with their tired G Key logo means they know Matthew sucks and are still riding the Riccardo wave. the G key was Givenchy in the 90s when it was at its least desirable and most duty free.

 

[Mutterlein]

Oh, absolutely. But also, I feel like Givenchy needs a designer that’s aristocratic or privileged, yet a bit willing to push some buttons … a Karl Lagerfeld. That’s a rare talent.

My guess is that LVMH execs are so drunk of Hennesy and Möet Chandon, that they hire the first moron they find.... as long as he has good connections (i.e. Matthew).

I think that their management is sometimes misguided. Someone thought that hiring Matthew was a good idea and I could see how they might think that.

New young names with a lot of buzz are the first thing I would look for if I'm trying to find creative energy to fuel a mega brand.

I would also look for talent and vision.

To be fair I was hopeful when I heard he got the job although I wasn't surprised when it unfolded as badly as it did.

 

[Norden]

The problem with these big corporates in creative fields (this malaise is also happening in other creative industries) is that they heavily depend on strategy and market research. This leads to blindness and arrogance - ‘we just need a creative director for input’. Whereas I think the true succes stories are proven when a creative director has a strong vision on everything which is supported by a fine strategy. But this is rare and unpredictable. I fear more and more houses will end up like givenchy. I don’t think there is a will at lvmh to really push givenchy, our own assessment here on its DNA is surely done by lvmh also, and we all know the issue, givenchy needs an expensive and hyper strong designer to overcome this trauma, and they’re not gonna invest in it in big ways. I don’t see it happening.

 

[Lola701]

It’s fun to think about what I’d do if I was at different fashion houses. Givenchy is a tricky one as we all know and have stated due to it not really having « iconic codes » like Chanel, Dior, or even Versace.

In my opinion, that’s when you have to think like Hubert. He was an aristocrat who lived a certain privileged lifestyle. Get into that lifestyle he lived and his perspective and then you can start developing some codes. Maybe Givenchy needs to go the route of focusing more on Haute Couture than PAP and all things precious. Make it regal and precious and limited and beef up the fragrances for example. I think, in fact, it could stand to be even more precious than Dior, but slightly more niche. Schiaparelli with a budget.

What Givenchy needs is a strong POV. The reality is that except for Riccardo, nobody else had a strong POV.
McQueen was all over the place, Galliano was really unsure, MacDonald was a mess but also lacked focus, Clare had like 3 different versions of herself during her tenure and Matthew has provided confusion since the beginning.

Bernard Arnault used to go to Givenchy shows. I don’t think he bothers anymore…

HC won’t do anything for you is you don’t have something important or noticeable to say. And with Givenchy, playing with codes doesn’t mean anything as those codes aren’t known by everybody.

 

[style_expert]

The problem with these big corporates in creative fields (this malaise is also happening in other creative industries) is that they heavily depend on strategy and market research. This leads to blindness and arrogance - ‘we just need a creative director for input’. Whereas I think the true succes stories are proven when a creative director has a strong vision on everything which is supported by a fine strategy. But this is rare and unpredictable. I fear more and more houses will end up like givenchy. I don’t think there is a will at lvmh to really push givenchy, our own assessment here on its DNA is surely done by lvmh also, and we all know the issue, givenchy needs an expensive and hyper strong designer to overcome this trauma, and they’re not gonna invest in it in big ways. I don’t see it happening.

I totally agree. I'm more hopeful since LVMH is basically drowning in cash, I actually believe a bigger investment in Givenchy is on the horizon. They surely miscalculated with the streetwear/hypebeast direction but it's not like the Givenchy name is completely tarnished. The brand

I agree with Lola that only with Tisci Givenchy became a highlight of some sorts. Although I believe that even under Tisci the commercial success shouldn't be exaggerated.

If LVMH could so successfully turnaround/spin Phoebe's glorious 'old' Celine into Hedi's totally different new Celine, Givenchy shouldn't be too much of a challenge for them you'd expect.

 

[Lola701]

I totally agree. I'm more hopeful since LVMH is basically drowning in cash, I actually believe a bigger investment in Givenchy is on the horizon. They surely miscalculated with the streetwear/hypebeast direction but it's not like the Givenchy name is completely tarnished. The brand

I agree with Lola that only with Tisci Givenchy became a highlight of some sorts. Although I believe that even under Tisci the commercial success shouldn't be exaggerated.

If LVMH could so successfully turnaround/spin Phoebe's glorious 'old' Celine into Hedi's totally different new Celine, Givenchy shouldn't be too much of a challenge for them you'd expect.

But Tisci was a great commercial success tho. It’s obvious that people like only to highlight those who reach the 1billion or make more but I think it’s actually more impressive to build the foundation.

Phoebe Philo, Riccardo Tisci, Marc Jacobs, Peter Dundas, Hedi Slimane (at Dior Homme) have build the foundation of those brands. People assume that those brands were always big. For the majority of those brands, the only thing big was maybe the fact that Arnault made sure that they had stores in the best places despite having moderate to low success before the arrival of those creative directors.

What is really sad about Givenchy is that nobody wants it to be like Pucci. Pucci was like one of the hottest brand 10 years ago. They have down sized in a very impressive way.

I think the biggest failure of Riccardo at Givenchy was the fragrances. His fragrance as great as it was never experienced commercial success and he wasn’t able to unite in terms of creative direction Givenchy Parfums and Givenchy fashion.

‘I’m still rooting for Haider. I’m trying to imagine someone else but I don’t see it. He is a big star in a way but that big to pretend over the top salaries. They can afford him.

Maybe LVMH should take a chance in their studios too. When you look at the debacle of the brand, maybe hiring internally would have been great.

 

[LadyJunon]

What Givenchy needs is a strong POV. The reality is that except for Riccardo, nobody else had a strong POV.
McQueen was all over the place, Galliano was really unsure, MacDonald was a mess but also lacked focus, Clare had like 3 different versions of herself during her tenure and Matthew has provided confusion since the beginning.

Bernard Arnault used to go to Givenchy shows. I don’t think he bothers anymore…

HC won’t do anything for you is you don’t have something important or noticeable to say. And with Givenchy, playing with codes doesn’t mean anything as those codes aren’t known by everybody.

When I look at post-Hubert Givenchy, I just see mismanagement.

Galliano's collections were good, but looking back, it was obvious that they were an audition for Dior as his Givenchy was essentially his eponymous label with a larger budget.

McQueen's earlier collections were good, but his tenure was doomed to fail. He was too open with his lack of respect for Givenchy and it was obvious that the gig was a money and market opportunity for him, rather than a design challenge.

MacDonald was a incoherent mess with no sense identity whatsoever.

Tisci actually managed to find a strong identity for Givenchy, which eventually spread to the menswear when he took over from Boateng. He was kind of the Ghesquière of the late 00s/10s in a way.

Wright Keller and Williams suffered from what I call "Successor's Syndrome", meaning that they were automatically cast in Tisci's shadow. Wright Keller wasn't able to find an identity that pleased Tisci's customers, while Williams failed to revive Tisci's look with dignity. Having his first two seasons shown digitally didn't help either.

The next creative director will really have to say: "I am [insert creative director], this is my vision of Givenchy and I'm not ashamed of it!"

 

[LadyJunon]

Audemars Piguet has collaborated with Matthew Williams to design a line of watches, including a one-off design that will be auctioned off to support a charity for disadvantaged children:

 

[Salvatore]

I actually like it.

 

[yslforever]

I don't undestand : MAD Paris already customed AP watches for Alyx in 2021, in limited edition 40 pieces in steel, 5 in yellow gold, 10 in rose gold. There are all sold out, if you believe them, but there is one gold left on Farfetch.
((btw they did also some horrendous Casablanca Royal Oaks)).
So this collab looks already tired to me.

 

[FashionFanatico]

i am looking forward to the day when he takes a break from fashion.

 

[Kimihiro]

Isn’t he supposed to be out now? It’s been more than 3 years!

 

[PierreGotha]

Maybe because there's no one suitable to replace him. At this point, Givenchy has become a poisoned chalice.

 

[Lola701]

Isn’t he supposed to be out now? It’s been more than 3 years!

We will know after the show in October as he named CD in 2020.

 

[LadyJunon]

We will know after the show in October as he named CD in 2020.

Personally, I think that they're waiting for the October show to announce his departure and his replacement who will debut for the FW'24 season. That way, they don't have to deal with a studio-led collection, since the fashion press is generally less kind towards houses without a creative director.