Sarah Burton Is the New Creative Director of Givenchy
Sarah Burton is Givenchy's new Creative Director of both men's and women's ready-to-wear. She will begin immediately and show her first collection in Paris for the Fall 2025 season. As Burton said in a statement this morning, "It is a great honor to be joining the beautiful house of Givenchy, it is a jewel." She added, "I am so excited to be able to write the next chapter in the story of this iconic house and bring to Givenchy my own vision, sensibility and beliefs."
Burton's appointment is an exciting new chapter for the brand. She is one of the most revered designers in fashion not only for her extraordinary skill and vision but also for her humble, team-centric approach to creative directorship. After closely working alongside Lee Alexander McQueen from 1996 until his tragic death in 2010, she took over and led his namesake fashion house into its next phase. There, she focused heavily on craft and had a design sensibility that centered around women, their complexities, their beauty, and the power of their bodies.
Her designs for the house were otherworldly, often taking inspiration from the landscape of England where she's from. For each collection at McQueen, she would host her team on an inspiration trip where they could, together, soak in all that would inspire the breathtaking pieces that would eventually come down the runway.
The world at large probably remembers Burton for a very different reason however. In 2011, she designed a wedding dress for The Princess of Wales, a gown that would reach immediate icon status and be referenced millions of times over by admiring brides everywhere. In 2012, Burton was awarded an Order of the British Empire too and to much dismay, after an emotional last show, she left McQueen in 2023.
Sidney Toledano, Chairman of the Givenchy board, said in a statement this morning, "Sarah Burton is an exceptional creative talent whose work I have passionately followed for many years; I am glad that she is joining Givenchy today." He added, "Her unique vision and approach to fashion will be invaluable to this iconic Maison, known for its audacity and haute couture. I am convinced that her creative leadership will contribute to the future success and international standing of the Maison."
Burton is the perfect fit for Givenchy. There is a strong connection between her and the French house's founder Hubert de Givenchy. Both designers understood the art of elegance and romance, always able to create a feeling of glamour that didn't overpower the women they dressed but brought their beauty, both inner and outer, to the surface. Where Givenchy did it for Audrey Hepburn most famously, Burton did it for princesses and dignitaries as well as pop culture celebrities. She is the absolutely right person for this job. That she's a woman in charge of a European luxury house after many long appointments of men in recent years too is the icing on the cake.
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