Due to the current climate, fashion is prime for change, and at Givenchy, new designer Matthew Williams has joined the brand at a pivotal point. On the heels of his predecessor, Williams has simultaneously reinvented the wheel for the French design house, all the while flushing out all remnants of Clare Waight Keller’s mark on the brand after her short tenure as creative director. Last week Williams began teasing his vision for the iconic brand on social media, and following Givenchy’s spring 2021 collection we’ve now got a further look at the 34-year-old American designer’s vision for Givenchy with his debut collection.
“I’m not a person who designs in themes. It’s very much product-focused. A lot of it is what I would wear personally,” Williams told Vogue
Joining a luxury design house during this new age of fashion is perfect timing for Williams, who has been grouped with the likes of Virgil Abloh and Kim Jones. Both Abloh and Kim are part of the new generation of creative director hype and Williams is primed to join the ranks. His first collection exuded power and was chic and elegant while edgy at the same time. Williams spoke to Vogue about his inspiration or lack thereof stating, “I’m not a person who designs in themes. It’s very much product-focused. A lot of it is what I would wear personally”.
Unsurprisingly, Givenchy’s new hardware took center stage in this collection, though logos were noticeably absent. Perhaps it seems that Williams is working to make Givenchy identifiable by its new unique hardware as its taken the place of logos. This collection featured both new bags as well as updated takes on existing bags, proving that though Williams is setting forth a new direction for the brand, he will continue to pay homage to the brand’s history.
The most notable existing silhouette included in this collection is the Antigona, which though still instantly recognizable due to its shape, featured a blank, clean triangular leather tab in place of the Givenchy logo, and long exaggerated handles. The newer version of this icon, the Antigona Soft, is given a magnified makeover and adorned with a bold, branded lock. New bags feature a whole lot of embossed croc and that aforementioned focus on hardware. Take a look below at all of the new bags from Givenchy and let us know what you think in the comments.
[images via Vogue Runway]
