What Sarah Burton Has Planned for Givenchy’s Future

Sarah arrived in Paris after a thoughtful pause, stepping into the Avenue George V office where echoes of the house’s history whispered through the walls. It wasn’t just about fashion—it was about understanding the essence of Givenchy, its founder Hubert de Givenchy, and the beginning set in 1952.

From the atelier, she unearthed a series of look books, their black-and-white images telling quiet stories—front-side-back shots of outfits, rigorously structured with architectural lines and surprising hints of curvaceousness.

Burton was drawn to these artefacts, especially one leopard handbag seen in the crook of a model’s arm—an image captured with forensic clarity. “There was a directness, a real humanity,” she shared, recalling her collaboration with Collier Schorr, flipping through books stacked like a pile of secrets.

One bricked wall, uncovered during renovation, sparked a rush of symbolism—past and future stitched together. Her fall 2025 debut show in March aims to reflect this: cutting, pure construction, stripped to bare shapes and forms.

Working with calico and patterns, her team—the “magicians”—used their hands to shape emotion. Fashion here was about craftsmanship, feeling, and the people behind the clothes. “It’s not just about the designer, it’s about the teams,” she said.

In her declarative return, tailoring takes the lead, channeling the couture past of the house. Her collections bring a sharp, fresh attitude, quietly evolving silhouettes from menswear-inspired to sexier, more sensual from a woman’s viewpoint.

She avoids flashiness and theatricality, focusing instead on the bare bones—the skeleton, the silhouette, the cut. “It’s harder to make something simple, but it’s more beautiful,” she said, laying out a dress in soft cotton and silk.

From London to Paris, Burton’s work bridges decades—from the legacy of John Galliano, Clare Waight Keller, and Riccardo Tisci, to her former boss, the late Alexander McQueen, whom she calls “Lee.”

Now, leading her own brand since her departure in 2023, she views Givenchy as a place of revelation. A small house with a deep relationship with women—a place of empathy, not just for fashion, but for the human body.