Givenchy’s show was inspired by the imperfect women of French new wave cinema

With Megan Markle and Rihanna as loyal customers, Claire Waight Keller has first hand experience of what it takes to dress a woman for the limelight. 

Her latest show for Givenchy, unveiled in Paris last night, was a reminder that it’s the way her leading women wear her clothes and not the clothes themselves that will always be their secret weapon. 

Citing French new wave cinema, and the imperfect beauty of the females who dominated it during its heyday, as her starting point, Waight Keller explored the idea of fashion as a performance with a long, smooth lines, knitted dresses and exquisite tailoring among her methods of empowerment. 

Backstage, the British designer also noted artist Helen Almeida among her sources of inspiration. “These women were their art, I find that so interesting” she said. 

There was much for silver screen stars past and present to delight in with cinematic cocoon coats and oversized puffer coats in shades of tomato red and cobalt presented alongside billowing cocktail dresses and supersized floppy hats which were all about adding drama. 

The designer, who has gone to great lengths to bring a distinctly female version of femininity to Givenchy since arriving at the house in 2017, also chose the occasion to reaffirm her version of contemporary power dressing with tailoring which is both effortless and elegant. In fact, a double breasted ivory trouser suit was ranked among this collection’s star additions.

For evening, Waight Keller looked into the Givenchy archives and explored feathers  – a signature of Hubert Givenchy – as a means to add a lightness and an injection of cinematic beauty to a series of flowing gowns and billowing capes. Undoubtedly, its only a matter of time before the Duchess of Suffolk gives them her blessing.