Givenchy SS22
It’s not often that a fashion house as established as Givenchy strays from the norm. Dark, edgy, and contemporary pieces are typical of the brand, so their SS22 collection was a breath of fresh air. The show was opened by industry favourite Steinberg, who emulates exactly what the brand is all about. A star-studded line-up of 67 models set the scene for a new era of Givenchy. Not to mention, creative director Matthew Williams was finally able to show his collection in person for the first time ever, after more than 2 years at Givenchy. The show took place at Paris La Défense Arena, with space for more than 40,000 seats; Williams did not disappoint.
The collection started out in a very predictable fashion, with the first 12 models dressed head to toe in nothing but black. Thigh-high leather boots and artillery styled vests created a very totalitarian atmosphere that was on display for all. Each piece of fabric was tailored to accentuate certain parts of the outfit and were so meticulously crafted that I doubt any imperfections would be able to be seen, even under a microscope.
The needed pop of colour came from look 13; keeping with the monochrome trend, Kristy Ponomar was dressed in a long, burnt orange knit top, with a ruffled skirt of the same fabric layered underneath, and velvet thigh high boots. Williams tied it all together with a red clutch and dramatic eye makeup that was not prominent in previous looks.
Straying a bit from the black monochrome, Williams introduced a palette of silver, beige, and neutral undertones into the next part of the show. My personal favourite look was worn by Puck Schrover, who was dressed in a sheer dress made of metallic purples and grays. This style is very reminiscent of that of Iris Van Herpen, who has made waves in digital fabrication and 3D printing in relation to fashion design. Keeping with the very structured design elements of this collection, Williams sought to warm up the collection without straying too far from the norms of Givenchy. Caroline Trentini reminded everyone that this was a Spring collection, after all, sporting athletic-looking shorts, a dark brown bralette and a rough-edged hemmed blazer. Her black platform loafers might be a sign of some popular shoe trends for next season.
Williams cleverly tied hues of light purples, yellows, and blues into the neutral pieces. Some details include purple tulle under a dark brown structured top in one look, yellow sneakers in another and a mint green sheer dress under a blazer sported by Mika Schneider. Vira Boshkova wore my favourite look from Williams’ introduction of colour in this collection. Her long-sleeved top was extremely structured, with little ruffles at the bottom and a layered skirt. The thigh-high pastel purple boots completed the outfit and emphasized the influence of spring weather on design choices.
The last part of the collection could be argued to have been the most anticipated, as it was a collaboration with Josh Smith, a unique artist from New York. His art style is bursting with colour, something outside the realm of typical Givenchy. In a way, this inspired Williams, as he told Vogue, “It was a nice opportunity to emerge out of my comfort zone and explore a new space” (Vogue Runway). One of Smith’s actual art pieces, a depiction of the grim reaper, was knit into the sweater worn by Abby Champion in look 48 and is my favourite from this part of the collection.
The show ended off in a sea of black and white outfits to remind the audience that this was a Givenchy show after all. Collaborations are becoming much more mainstream between designers of major fashion influences, and it’s exciting to see where Williams will take the fashion house next.
To watch the show: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2022-ready-to-wear/givenchy#review