FOLLOWING on from her debut couture collection in January, Clare Waight Keller and her AW18 Givenchy show established a vision of the empowered woman as one who is strong because of her femininity, rather than her masculine approach. The collection drew a new slant in line with the couture elements of her first collection where avant-garde met sultry undertones in a moonlit garden setting. Waight Keller’s sexy and gritty outlook of the core French glamour in Givenchy produced a refreshing and fun eclectic mix of traditional design and modern materials.
Cascading ruffles, big bows, and floor length fringing were clearly inspired by the Givenchy archives and were updated with smaller fits, more skin on show, and a subtle sexiness. Inspired by early 1980s Berlin cinema, its nightlife scenes and the atmospheric lens of film noir, the show celebrated nighttime club attire. Lingerie lacy dresses, 1980s wide shouldered jackets and cinched in waists were an ode to The Hunger, the erotic, voyeuristic thriller. Set in the Palais de Justice and decorated with midnight-blue velvet curtains the show was designed to give off the atmosphere of 1980s Berlin at night, where fake glamour was all the rage. The wet-look leather coats and faux fur coats were a clear reference to this.
Sequin applique, pixie boots and mini handbags exuded delicacy and showed exquisite and detailed craftsmanship. Juxtaposing the sleek tailoring and sharp edges of Givenchy’s design legacy with the voluminous coats and bouncy structures, that were new additions made by Waight Keller in her debut couture collection, was a playful and necessary modernisation for the design house. An update that supports an elegant sense of sex appeal and will be key in building Givenchy as a popular destination for the red-carpet.
by Lily Rimmer
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