Unafraid of the ordinary and always willing to push the envelope, Matthew Williams departed Givenchy almost as quickly as he came. While at the helm, Williams embraced Givenchy’s core codes and DNA, melding them with his personal design aesthetic. Sleek and effortlessly cool with an undeniable edge, his designs felt contemporary yet still had an air of brand history.
Today, 6 months after Williams’ departure, his seat at the brand remains empty, leaving fans and industry insiders alike wondering what’s next for the House. Before taking on the role of Creative Director at Valentino, it was widely speculated that Alessandro Michele would potentially sit at the helm of the French Design House. However, we now know those rumors were exactly that.
An Empty Seat Remains
While the last two decades have seen some of fashion’s biggest names at the helm (before Williams, there was Clare Waight Keller and Riccardo Tisci), the brand is currently without a creative director. Still, its latest collections point to a return to the brand’s past.
The Fall 2024 collection was created by the current in-house design team. In a refreshing twist of events, it strayed from the overly streetwear-esque aesthetic popularized by the team’s former director.
Instead, it paid homage to Hubert de Givenchy himself, offering a glimpse into the archives through a modern lens. Bags and accessories have followed the direction set during Williams’ time at the helm. However, they’ve begun to stray from the heavily branded locks and hardware that defined Williams’ early collections.
What’s Next?
If the work of the design team is any indication of what’s to come next, we can expect more paired-back designs but designs that ooze elegance and sophistication. In a way, the Fall collection offered a palette cleanser of sorts, leaving the direction to be decided by who comes next. While fashion in the 2020s has been defined by the digital age and revved up trend cycle, there is something to be said about a return to the simplicity of the past.
That return could potentially continue with Matthew Williams’ successor. Matthew Williams and Clare Waight Keller’s tenures were only three years long, which is not enough time for concrete change. What Givenchy really needs is a good fit with a strong voice and point of view—someone who will see the brand fully through its next phase.
While many names have been mentioned in the six months since Matthew Williams departed, including Simon Porte Jacquemus, Sarah Burton (formerly of McQueen), and more, only time will truly tell what’s in store for the French design House.
