Sarah Burton named Givenchy creative director
Sarah Burton has been appointed creative director at Givenchy.
The 50-year-old designer - who left Alexander McQueen after 26 years last September - will be introduced to atelier workers at Avenue George V this week and is expected to present her first designs for the fashion house during Paris Fashion Week next March.
Sidney Toledano, chairman of the Givenchy board, told WWD in a statement: “Sarah Burton is an exceptional creative talent whose work I have passionately followed for many years. I am very glad that she is joining Givenchy today.
“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.”
Sarah becomes Givenchy's eighth designer and second female couturier and she's hailed it a "great honour" to be working with the "iconic" brand.
She said in her own statement: “It is a great honour to be joining the beautiful house of Givenchy, it is a jewel.
“I am so excited to be able to write the next chapter in the story of this iconic house and to bring to Givenchy my own vision, sensibility and beliefs.”
A fastidious fashion technician prized for dramatic tailoring and intricate, yet empowering dresses, Burton was rarely seen backstage without straight pins stored in her sweater sleeves, and a big pair of scissors shoved in a back pocket.
She follows in the footsteps of the late Lee Alexander McQueen, who designed Givenchy from 1996 to 2001, when luxury kingpin Bernard Arnault began revving up European heritage brands with powerful fashion talents.
Burton’s appointment completes a new duo at the brand following the July appointment of Alessandro Valenti as the new chief executive officer. He joined Givenchy from Louis Vuitton, where he was most recently president of Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Burton and Valenti will be charged with igniting a renaissance at the storied house, which has lagged the rapid growth charted by the likes of Celine and Loewe, which are also controlled by French luxury giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Sarah's appointment comes after Matthew M. Williams ended his three-year tenure with Givenchy at the end of 2023.
Sarah joined Alexander McQueen in 1996 as an intern and returned after her graduation the following year.
In 2000, she was handed the role of head of womenswear and was appointed creative director following Lee McQueen's suicide in 2010.
She famously designed the wedding dress for the then-Kate Middleton, now Catherine, Princess of Wales, for her 2011 nuptials to Prince William and has also made gowns for the likes of Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Cate Blanchett.
