The sun has risen, you creak the bedroom
windows open and let the linen curtains blow
in the morning breeze. As you head down
OLYMPIA JCREW
WOMEN WHO WIN
Former McQueen designer Sarah Burton is the historic French fashion house’s new leading lady
The fashion industry has witnessed a multitude of major changes at top fashion houses over the past year, but none have garnered quite so much excitement as the announcement of Sarah Burton taking the helm at Givenchy.
The English fashion designer is best-known for her decades-long career at Alexander McQueen. Having joined as an intern in 1996, Burton became creative director in 2010 following the untimely passing of the brand’s eponymous founder – a role that she held for the next 13 years. During this time she made history, designing the Princess of Wales’ now-iconic wedding dress, being awarded an OBE for her services to British fashion, orchestrating countless major celebrity red-carpet moments, and faithfully upholding the late Lee McQueen’s legacy while ensuring the brand’s commercial success.
Welcome to Style Briefing, a deep-dive into the groundbreaking labels redefining fashion. Here, we turn the lens on Givenchy as it enters a new era—decoding the designer at its helm, exploring the new collection, and showcasing the hardest-working hero buys worth adding to your wardrobe.
A woman who designs for women, in all their guises
Where McQueen himself was famed for his ultra-creative, outlandish, and often controversial designs, Burton significantly softened the house’s reputation and broadened its commercial appeal – without ever compromising its artistic integrity. Technical excellence, dedication to craftsmanship, exquisite tailoring, couture-like construction, and historical and mythological references are all markers of Burton’s own design identity, while her work is imbued with an unmistakably romantic yet fiercely modern femininity that has proven to have universal appeal.
Burton brings a breath of fresh air to Givenchy’s illustrious history and iconic aesthetic
“To go forward, you have to go back to the beginning,” read the show notes for Burton’s premiere Autumn/Winter 2025 collection for Givenchy, and that’s precisely what she did. The Cheshire-born designer used a cache of recently discovered Hubert de Givenchy patterns from his 1952 debut line as the foundation for her own collection, which was presented in the house’s historic address on Avenue George V in Paris. The opening look set the tone: a black netted bodysuit layered over a bra and briefs, stamped with ‘Givenchy Paris 1952’ – a detail taken from an archival image, but utilised in a hyper-modern context.
It was precisely this duality between Givenchy’s past and present that best defines Burton’s debut, though it was much more than just a straightforward reinterpretation of the classics. Yes, subtle nods to iconic moments in the house’s history were present, with tailoring, white shirts, black dresses and Audrey Hepburn references aplenty, as well as a certain understated elegance and restraint that has become synonymous with the brand, but these simply provided a jumping-off point for Burton’s own creativity.
Impeccably tailored coats and blazers were given a fresh look courtesy of nipped-in waists, sharp shoulders, cocoon sleeves and cut-out details; the signature white shirt found new function as a crisp, clean dress; LBDs were reimagined in micro-mini Chantilly lace, sultry see-through mesh and tutu-like skirts; while unexpectedly plunging necklines, bare backs, exposed lingerie and lashings of leather added a sultry edge. Meanwhile sumptuous satins, intricate embroidery, exaggerated bows and the show-stopping finale dress erred on the more classical side of couture.
Perhaps Burton’s own summary explains it best: “I want to address everything about modern women. Strength, vulnerability, emotional intelligence, feeling powerful or very sexy. All of it.”
Givenchy
The New Era
Sultry silhouettes and a new pared-back logo are must-haves in the making
The collection itself may have only just dropped, but there’s already a major buzz surrounding Burton’s hourglass tailoring, which is poised to become the must-have silhouette of the season. No doubt pieces elegantly emblazoned with the new pared-back ‘Givenchy 1952’ logo will also be in high demand by those keen to align themselves with the house’s new era, with the branded patent black leather calf-length boots, glossy ballerinas and loafers providing the perfect, wear-with-everything point of entry.
We’ve selected our top investment buys from Sarah Burton's debut Givenchy Autumn/Winter 2025 collection, including the perfect blazer, everyday ballet flats and timeless coat.
£2,600
Double-breasted wool-twill blazer
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the DESIGNER
THE ICONS
THE MARIE CLAIRE EDIT
Hollywood heavyweights, fashion icons and royals alike are already aligning themselves with the brand’s new Burton era
Since its inception, Givenchy has been known for dressing the upper echelons of society, most famously Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Wallis Simpson and Princess Grace of Monaco, and Burton is already following suit. Mere months after her debut for the French fashion house, the Princess of Wales tapped Burton to create a custom gown for a state banquet at Windsor Castle; a continuation of her relationship with the designer, as well as an important show of support as she enters a new era. But the Princess is just one of the many brilliant, beautiful and prominent women who have been quick to align themselves with Givenchy by Sarah Burton. Celebrity fans thus far have included Hollywood heavyweights such as Cynthia Erivo, Tracee Ellis Ross, Diane Kruger, Charlize Theron, Gwendoline Christie, Scarlett Johansson, Vanessa Kirby and Jenna Ortega – and no doubt there will be many more. Meanwhile, Givenchy’s much-anticipated Autumn/Winter 2025 campaign provides an insight into the designer’s modern muses, and features the likes of Adut Akech, Vittoria Ceretti, Kaia Gerber and Eva Herzigová, who posed alongside members of Burton’s all-female team, including long-time stylist Camilla Nickerson and make-up artist Lucia Pieroni.
GIVENCHY fan club
STYLE BRIEFING
STYLE NOTES
Gwendoline Christie
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Cynthia Erivo
Vanessa Kirby
Kendall Jenner
the COLLECTION
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£670
Logo-appliquéd ballet flats
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£1,350
Embroidered satin pouch
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£1,500
Denim jacket
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£3,500
double-breasted wool coat
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£1,900
Silk-gabardine mini dress
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‘The news was met with unadulterated joy: the designer would once again follow in the footsteps of the late McQueen’
‘Impeccably tailored coats and blazers were given a fresh look courtesy of nipped-in waists, sharp shoulders, cocoon sleeves and cut-out details’
The fact that Naomi Campbell was moved to tears as she walked Burton’s final McQueen show in September 2023 – before the rest of those in attendance followed suit and welled up themselves – is testament to the much-loved designer’s unique impact on the industry, and insider rumours soon began to swirl about her next chapter. The news of Burton being appointed creative director of LVMH-owned Givenchy came almost a full year later, and was met with unadulterated joy: the designer would once again follow in the footsteps of the late McQueen, who famously helmed the historic French maison from 1996-2001, and usher in an exciting new era both for herself and the brand.
the IMPACT
Focus is on quality and timeless investment pieces instead of fleeting trends
Under Burton, McQueen used upcycled materials in its collections, donated deadstock fabrics to young creatives, and partnered with Vestiaire Collective to reduce its environmental impact, but any sustainability initiatives the designer plans to enact at Givenchy are yet to be revealed. That said, the Autumn/Winter 2025 collection did include pieces made from found objects, such as a dress adorned with vintage make-up compacts and smashed-chandelier mixed-media jewellery, which could hint at a possible ‘reuse and recycle’ approach. At the very least, the fact that Burton’s debut was all about timeless elegance and understated classics rendered in luxurious materials by skilled craftspeople is impactful in itself, and signifies a move away from fleeting trends to instead focus on quality investment pieces that will be worn and loved for a lifetime.
‘Her hourglass tailoring is poised to become the
must-have silhouette of the season’
‘Burton’s debut was all about timeless elegance and understated classics rendered in luxurious materials by skilled craftspeople’
‘Burton significantly softened the house’s reputation and broadened its commercial appeal – without ever compromising its artistic integrity’
ALE
Scarlett Johansson
Tracee Ellis Ross
Kendall Jenner
Diane Kruger
WORDS: CLEMENTINA JACKSON
IMAGERY: GIVENCHY & getty images
DESIGN: ANA OSPINA
CHIEF SUB EDITOR: NICOLA MOYNE