Since joining Givenchy, Matthew Williams has been trying to explore the heritage and future of the House, and looks like he finally nailed it. Like a slow brew, Williams has been boiling every season to the moment. Givenchy is synonymous with minimal tailoring bordering on austere and black, something that has been lost amongst the gold and glitz of the last decade. There is no doubt that the house has been under evolution since entering the 2020s. Famous fans including Paul Dano, Maluma, Jared Leto, Skepta, Quavo, Tyga, and many more made their way to the iconic Invalides to see how you bring a historic house into the future.
For Spring/Summer 2024 Williams offers us sartorialism as a gesture of nonconformity for Givenchy. We have seen the exploration of menswear across a spectrum of designers and Givenchy injects its own DNA examining the relationship between a new culture of masculine dressing and the codes of the classic gentleman’s wardrobe. There has been a wider interest in smartness perhaps from people returning to the workplace or to school, or perhaps it’s about the experience. The experience of wearing a suit is entering the age of just that, an experience.
More than an experience, there is an elegance in a uniform, a symbol of democracy whether a suit, school uniform, or utilitarian. Beyond the suits were crested knits, sweatshirts, and polos shrunken, scoop-necked, or cropped at the hip playing with ideas of outgrown proportions while functionality and personality played off each other.
Silhouette evolved into an exploration of essential wardrobe items elevated in luxury techniques and fabrications. Adorned with gems or hardware, longline t-shirts, and jersey pieces riff on oscillating proportions in wide-leg cargo trousers and super-sized chinos cinched in by way of overlaying hooks. Tropes of the men’s wardrobe are hand-made in double-face cotton, from the trench coat to the Mac and the blouson. Cut in slight dimensions, hand-constructed double-face nylon outerwear, hoodies, and tops carrying the marque Givenchy Double Face Nylon add a contracting line to silhouettes. Labeled Givenchy Garment Dyed, crinkled tracksuits, military smocks, and field jackets have undergone state-of-the-art fabric treatments.
Williams is never one to overlook accessories. Jewelry saw him pay homage to Hubert de Givenchy in adaptations of orchids, one of the founder’s favorite flowers. Emphasizing the artisanal core of the collection, the orchids are hand-forged in gradient enamel earrings, ear cuffs, and necklaces. Sunglasses reinterpret classic shapes in minimal oval frames in matte metals. Did Williams dial things back this season? Yes. Did William’s ALYX signature seep into Givenchy? Yes. Did it work? Yes, Williams has never come across as confident with his tailoring as now.
Check out the collection below:
