Sarah Burton - Designer, Creative Director of Givenchy

[tricotineacetat]

I'm really happy with this appointement, but I have one concern. Burton is a really good designer, but her worldbuilding was very weak. While the collections are really strong, but her McQueen didn't really say much other than "pretty" and "craftsmanship". Aside from its historical name and its fading streetwear cred, Givenchy has a very weak brand identity. As she puts her first collections together, she'll need to ask herself these questions:
- What does a Givenchy show look like?
- What about a Givenchy campaign?
- What about casting, styling or art direction?
- What about Givenchy on the red carpet?
- What about the website or retail locations?

Just a friendly reminder how a lot of designers whose legacies we celebrate (Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga, Olivier Theyskens at Rochas or even before, Jil Sander, Helmut Lang, Martin Margiela or Ann Demeulemeester) managed to pull a convincing whole together without all the elaborate marketing around it, by staging relatively low-key runway shows and having little red carpet or ambassador-endorsement.

We are more and more normalizing the antics of the mega brands in that a work without the multimedia/social media big spectacle would be considered less noteworthy. This inclination lessens the value of design in favor of marketing and is a direct influence as to why we find ourselves in a fashion scene where we have almost no niche or independent fashion labels unless they work like Coperni or Jacquemus.

 

[Salvatore]

I think that Sarah was not a good fit for McQueen as she seemed to just want to make pretty dresses. But because it was McQueen, she had to be edgy and a bit dark which I do not believe she is. I don't think she will experience that issue at Givenchy.

 

[Kite]

Her Early Campaigns with Kate Moss (SS2014 and the Mini Moss Doll), the first campaign with he swarm of Butterflies, Vittoria on the sand dunes for SS2017 and Shanelle and Rihanne in San Fransisco!?

The campaigns were great before Kerring HQ got invoiced and homogenised all the brands.

 

[GivenchyAddict]

Yes ! Alexander McQueen SS17 by Jamie Hawkesworth was the best campaigns under her tenure.

 

[LadyJunon]

Just a friendly reminder how a lot of designers whose legacies we celebrate (Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga, Olivier Theyskens at Rochas or even before, Jil Sander, Helmut Lang, Martin Margiela or Ann Demeulemeester) managed to pull a convincing whole together without all the elaborate marketing around it, by staging relatively low-key runway shows and having little red carpet or ambassador-endorsement.

That said, the little marketing they did was so heavily curated that it worked in service of building an identity around each brand. McQueen didn't really have that in recent years, which I now realise might be a sympton of corporate meddling rather than a weak vision. Hopefully, Givenchy will be a healthier space for her.

 

[GoldenPetals]

I wouldn't celebrate just yet. Sarah Burton is technically brilliant but she's a corpo baby. She'll bend over for Daddy Kering and deliver whatever nondescript dishwater they ask her.

I wanna be excited but I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[tourbillions]

I don’t doubt she can’t create beautiful pieces that are good by themselves,

Isnt that what fashion designers do? maybe you want someone more of a vibe maker. Because if theres anything Sarah knows how to do, its fashion. If its not up to your taste then that is understandable. But every season she delivers the fashion and with such great technique that her most elaborate pieces look so easy on the eyes until you take a closer look. And see all the craftmanship in them.

McQueen didn't really have that in recent years

Their marketing under Sarah was really non-existent. They didnt push any celebrity to wear Mcqueen or didnt do the "lets gift everyone influencer a free bag" so that it looks like its the new it bag. All the few accessories she made that got any traction i could say was more organic. Whether its her vision or the suits meddling, we will never know.

She also had a lot of good projects collaborating with women artists around the world but they didnt bother marketing it, probably didnt even care to buy views to pretend they exploded. And they didnt market how she opened their stores as an exhibit to show the craftmanship of her Mcqueen.

Now that mcqueen guy is delivering nothing, their ads are all over the place.

My favorite ad campaign by her was s/s 2012 by david sims. the pink dress, the blue/green background it was out of this world and ethereal.

i also loved f/w 2011 with raquel and silver dress.

 

[Kennnnn]

I'm excited to see what Sarah Burton can do at Givenchy, unbridled by the expectation on her to be like McQueen. I also hope that she surrounds herself with a good menswear team, as i felt that her vision for McQueen menswear was slightly limited.

 

[Nimsay]

I think Kering allowing her to go to the competitor is insane. If I were a stock holder I would sue Kering at this point. The mismanagement across multiple brands is too much to overlook ...

Givenchy being Mr McQueen's former employer stings too... Also Givenchy is a direct competitor with McQueen...

Otherwise this is absolutely amazing news. Honestly between Haider at TF, Hedi staying at Celine and now Sarah at Givenchy... the fashion world is healing....

Hubert de Givenchy left us with a singular code: rich-looking in-the-moment clothing. I think Sarah can easily do that and will excel. I'm expecting stunning red carpet gowns and gorgeous men's suits.

Did anyone notice Givenchy's price cuts? Its interesting because I recall Givenchy with Ric was the first to push the $1,000 shoe all those years ago. Now Givenchy is pioneering again with a range of $500 shoes....

 

[LadyJunon]

I actually think that Burton's appointement is a sign of a shift in strategy in LVMH's fashion division in order to add leverage to some of their smaller houses. Louis Vuitton and Dior are entering a slow period, but Loewe and Celine are having astronomical successes. If that's the case, it would be very smart to get Givenchy on the Couture calender for July.

 

[PDFSD]

I think Kering allowing her to go to the competitor is insane. If I were a stock holder I would sue Kering at this point. The mismanagement across multiple brands is too much to overlook ...

Givenchy being Mr McQueen's former employer stings too... Also Givenchy is a direct competitor with McQueen...

Otherwise this is absolutely amazing news. Honestly between Haider at TF, Hedi staying at Celine and now Sarah at Givenchy... the fashion world is healing....

Hubert de Givenchy left us with a singular code: rich-looking in-the-moment clothing. I think Sarah can easily do that and will excel. I'm expecting stunning red carpet gowns and gorgeous men's suits.

Did anyone notice Givenchy's price cuts? Its interesting because I recall Givenchy with Ric was the first to push the $1,000 shoe all those years ago. Now Givenchy is pioneering again with a range of $500 shoes....

She was stuck at Mcqueen and the numbers sure showed Kering that the jig is up!!!! they wanted a shift and the vote of the Kering board/stake holders for sure counted in this, she could not do more than what she did so makes sense to let her go and get fresh air somewhere else.

I think we´re in for a Claire Givenchy 2.0 but with better cuts and made clothes with bit more edge maybe that's all Givenchy needs now.

Some people i know from the team said there happy for this shift .

 

[VogueDisciple93]

I am happy to see a talented adult at the steering wheel! I hope she exceeds my lukewarm expectations. It won’t be bad but to be seem if it will be great.

They need to get on the couture calendar for July because I think she would truly excel there and great couture collections can do wonders for brand-perception, and they desperately need a brand-rehab.

 

[Thefrenchy]

Just a friendly reminder how a lot of designers whose legacies we celebrate (Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga, Olivier Theyskens at Rochas or even before, Jil Sander, Helmut Lang, Martin Margiela or Ann Demeulemeester) managed to pull a convincing whole together without all the elaborate marketing around it, by staging relatively low-key runway shows and having little red carpet or ambassador-endorsement.

EXCUSE ME??????????????????????????? Image-making / a brand's visual identity is a marketing tool and all the names you've mentioned have produced iconic imagery for their brands that is still revered and referenced today. Ghesquiere's runway shows are, for many of them, iconic, and so are Margiela's etc.

I'm indifferent about her appointment, like many said, she's not a creative director to me. Good at making clothes, but that's about it. I always found it ironic that when she left McQueen some acted as if we had lost a major name in fashion after years of ignoring her work there. La mode...

At least, the clothes will look sharp. Can't be worse than what they have produced for the past years.

 

[lookatme]

Not exciting for me - never cared for her work. I will be curious to see what she does, however.

I just hope it’s not too princessy.

 

[IsabelMarantBoy]

I feel rather indifferent to this appointment. On one hand, it's great Givenchy finally got a CD and a stable one at that! I don't mind when a creative team can put out a few good collections for a house (like Fall 2006/Spring 2007 at Chloe, arguably some of the best collection for the house), but that last collection was r o u g h.

On the other hand, I find her vision and work (especially her later work for AM) lacked a sense of romance and sexuality. If she just puts out collection after collection of neutered tailored separates, peplum jackets and trousers, with big clunky boots in her overused color palette of black/white/red/blue/pink, it will just be another nail in the coffin for creativity and vision in fashion.

 

[TomBlanksFullFatMiuMiu]

I wonder if she will dress Princess Catherine?

 

[Creative]

I think someone that could’ve done great at Givenchy if he had the talent he had in the beginning of the 00s would be Pilati. I think he does have the chicness in him, and would love to see a reinterpretation of Hubert’s 80s style. Flowers, volumes, super Parisian, bourgeois, chic…

I just can’t see Sarah at a French brand🫤

And people saying that creating beautiful dresses is what makes a designer a fashion designer… ermmm, not at all. Demna, even if I despise him most of the times, is a fashion designer, and he never created a beautiful dress in his life (well, maybe a few). Sarah is not. But of course you can like her. I also have guilty pleasures… it’s ok.

 

[tourbillions]

i somehow feel she will go the john galliano route, go to dior right after givenchy.

 

[tricotineacetat]

EXCUSE ME??????????????????????????? Image-making / a brand's visual identity is a marketing tool and all the names you've mentioned have produced iconic imagery for their brands that is still revered and referenced today. Ghesquiere's runway shows are, for many of them, iconic, and so are Margiela's etc.

I'm indifferent about her appointment, like many said, she's not a creative director to me. Good at making clothes, but that's about it. I always found it ironic that when she left McQueen some acted as if we had lost a major name in fashion after years of ignoring her work there. La mode...

At least, the clothes will look sharp. Can't be worse than what they have produced for the past years.

You’re missing my point, I didn’t say these designers were a complete no-show, but that the PR around them did not have crazy multimedia coverage, ambassador deals or excessive red carpet going on for people to take note - Then again, “taking note” in the mid-90s to early 2000s was speaking to a fashion industry that liked being a bit secretive while today, everybody wants a slice of it. The spendings on production and PR costs of those times would be only a fraction of what brands are willing to spend today to create a perfectly calculated PR around a brand - much different from how people like Michele Montagne or Kuki de Salvertes woukd work, who were the go-to PR people for all the up-and-comers and independent designers of those times.

As I was mentioning elsewhere before, we see the effects of this changing fashion industry in the very culture of discussion around fashion designers and collections here on TFS - Where maybe before it was all about the design of the clothing, I hear a lot of tiring debates over which stylist works with whom and who creates the most enticing world building and lifestyle around the fashion - The end product of that is a glorified merch-maker like Jacquemus even being considered for Chanel or TFSers praising Anthony Vaccarello substance-lacking Saint Laurent because of his grandiose image-making.

 

[tourbillions]

unfortunately we live in a world where demna is a fashion designer and burton isnt.