Givenchy fall winter 2023

Matthew M. Williams presents the Givenchy fall winter 2023 collection in Paris.

A new elegance. A contemporary study of glamour. A re-contextualization of archetypes.

For the fall-winter 2023 women's collection, Givenchy investigates a generational sophistication through reconsidered classical compositions. Drawing on instincts integral to the Maison, artistic director Matthew M. Williams mirrors the principles of elegance founded by Hubert de Givenchy in the dressing culture of the arts-driven community of women that surrounds him today. The premise manifests in demonstrating the codes that seduce a modern-day wardrobe mentality: a proposition expressed in confidence, comfort, and empowerment.

The reflection on a new elegance balances the new and the old: Silhouettes, constructions, and styles informed by the past but adapted for the present.

Defined by magnified volumes, tailoring cuts a strong shoulder with a softly nipped-in waist achieved without constriction. Black coats developed in the haute couture atelier are crafted in satin, tricotine, cashmere, or mohair and sculpted with inverted pleats either at the back or with buttons at the waist. Suit jackets structured in the same silhouette appear with sheer underpinnings only, observing a contemporary evocation of a mini dress.

Innate to the practice of Matthew M. Williams at Givenchy, the dialogue between Parisian chic and American cool unfolds in a formalization of sports - and workwear. The relaxed body language of traditional sweats and denim pieces is transformed into elevated interpretations: unstructured double-face cashmere coats and jackets, shell jackets lined in shearling, fluidly flared fine wool trousers, cozy cashmere knits, and stretchy smocked leather dresses. A contemporary evening silhouette takes form in elegant all-sweats or all-denim occasion looks, proposing a new formality. A coat and jacket in denim bonded with tailoring fabric are treated with rip-and-repair to evoke the tweed look.

Layered expressions from luxe baggy sweats, delicate jersey tops, cargo pieces, bondage garments, felpa skirts, and kilts demonstrate a new understanding of elegance. One is emblazoned with florals adapted from the archives of Hubert de Givenchy and re-evoked in overdyed lasered nylon. Along with a fish motif, the flower represents a study of imagery - arbitrary or symbolic - that magnetizes the contemporary gaze and resonates with glamour. Sourced from Maison's archives, the motifs appear in flou expressed in ruched dresses with trains, chainmail dresses, and gowns constructed from bands that twist around the body. Amongst the accents of color, lavalliere leather or hammered satin dresses retain a balance with the pure.

Evening gowns informed by archival creations are realized in the haute couture ateliers, each a reflection of the self-expression that characterizes the dressing culture of a new mentality. Grand chenille pannier dresses are fully embroidered with micro-floral nylon appliqué, and a voluminous black triangle tulle dress built on a corset is pleated entirely by hand.

A pavé-stitch detail that appears on the shoulders of dresses is echoed in rings, cuffs, ear cuffs, and oversized pearl necklaces, while flowers bloom around the neck and the ears with delicate jewels. With their elegant narrow arch, new silver metal sunglasses draw on the classic elegance of headbands called g scape, while the new metal-framed terra integrates a visor as a gesture of glamour. They appear alongside lighter interpretations of the angular give-cut shades crafted in silver, gold, and black metal.

The Voyou shoulder bag is proposed in elegant manifestations morphing biker details with slouchy luxury materials: shearlings, cashmere, aged leather, metallic leather, and exotics. A new party Voyou is scaled down for the evening, crafted in satin-nylon and velvet with a chain handle. A new idea of elegance is reinforced through glamorized takes on emblematic bags: the cut-out is interpreted through a minimalist lens in spazzolato with rounded silhouettes, in evening chainmail versions with floral and fish prints, and object adaptations with solid metal frames, while the signature 4G padlock appears on a new bucket silhouette which adapts the details of the shark lock boot in elegant leathers and exotics.

Reflecting on notions of glamour, the subversive shoe language inherent to the work of Matthew M. Williams at Givenchy expands in silhouettes adapted from doll shoes. Crafted in delicate and elevated materials, the stilettos appear in magnified volumes with intensified toes in squared or rounded shapes. Super pointed sling-backs feature the pave-stitch adornment that runs through the collection, while pointed sling-back and pump wedges mix exotics in overlaid constructions. A shark cowboy boot with a wide spat-like shaft interprets the bondage and cargo garments of the collection. A high boot with a classic rounded toe and a natural wood heel features in soft leather echoing the comfort-driven premise of the proposal.

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