Givenchy Catwalk | Givenchy

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GIVENCHY CATWALK, THE COMPLETE COLLECTIONS

by Alexandre Samson & Anders Christian Madsen

Givenchy Catwalk offers the first comprehensive overview of the House of Givenchy’s Haute Couture and ready-to-wear collections from the House’s debut in 1952 to today, presented through original catwalk photography. Over 1200 Photographs | £60 Hardback

‘The shortest path to elegance is simplicity.’ – Hubert de Givenchy

This definitive publication – the only monograph in print on the House of Givenchy – opens with a concise history of the House before exploring almost 180 collections, which are organized chronologically. Each new era in Givenchy’s history opens with a brief overview and biography of the new designer, while individual collections are introduced by a short text unveiling their influences and highlights, illustrated with 1200 carefully curated catwalk images. The book offers a unique opportunity to trace the creative development of the House’s founder and powerful line-up of creative successors. A rich reference section, including an extensive index, concludes the book.

Givenchy Catwalk Book - Hubert de Givenchy

Founded by the dashing Hubert de Givenchy in 1952 when he was just 24, the House would go on to symbolize the height of effortless elegance, as embodied by Givenchy’s muse (and close friend) Audrey Hepburn. Many of his collections are published here for the first time. After its founder’s retirement in 1995, John Galliano first took the reins, before being succeeded by a young Alexander McQueen, who created his first (and only) Haute Couture collections for Givenchy. In 2001, Julien Macdonald brought his own high-octane glamourous approach to the label. More recently, Italian designer Riccardo Tisci took the brand into a resolutely contemporary direction following his appointment in 2005 followed by Clare Waight Keller and American designer Matthew M. Williams.

S/S 1953 HAUTE COUTURE © firstVIEW/Launchmetrics

A/W 1953 HAUTE COUTURE © firstVIEW/Launchmetrics

HUBERT DE GIVENCHY – A/W 1957-58 HAUTE COUTURE

HUBERT DE GIVENCHY – S/S 1959 HAUTE COUTURE

HUBERT DE GIVENCHY – A/W 1961 HAUTE COUTURE © firstVIEW/Launchmetrics

HUBERT DE GIVENCHY – A/W 1963-64 HAUTE COUTURE © firstVIEW/Launchmetrics

HUBERT DE GIVENCHY – A/W 1969-70 HAUTE COUTURE © firstVIEW/Launchmetrics

Matthew M. Williams is leading Givenchy into a new era while celebrating more than 70 years of its fashion legacy:

‘To me, fashion expresses a point of view where formality and informality, construction and comfort co-exist. My ethos is about the luxury of infusing clothes with your own personality, not being worn by them.’ – Matthew M. Williams

MATTHEW M. WILLIAMS – A/W 2023-24 READY-TO-WEAR © firstVIEW/Launchmetrics

Givenchy Catwalk is the latest of high-end, clothbound books that offer an unrivalled overview of the collections of the world’s top fashion houses through original catwalk photography.

Alexandre Samson is a fashion historian and curator at Palais Galliera. He has curated exhibitions such as ‘1997 Fashion Big Bang’ and ‘Margiela Galliera 1989-2009’, as well as ‘Back Side, Fashion from Behind ’.

Anders Christian Madsen is the fashion critic at British Vogue. He is based in London and has previously written features for the Financial Times, Daily Telegraph, i-D, Nylon and The Wall Street Journal.

JOHN GALLIANO – S/S 1996 HAUTE COUTURE / Getty Images: Jean-Claude Deutsch/Paris Match

Givenchy Catwalk Book - Givenchy by Matthew M. Williams

‘This book is an opportunity to trace the creative development of the fashion House’s founder and his successors, to explore their early days, their triumphs, their doubts, their innovations. It is also an opportunity to examine the reactions they provoked at the time, and how these are echoed in our own. A total of almost 180 collections testifies to a level of inventiveness and luxury that may well surprise the general public. The heart of Givenchy beats with the pulse of the times, while maintaining a rare balance between commercial propositions and spectacular presentations.’ – Alexandre Samson (author)

The Thames & Hudson edition of Givenchy Catwalk can be pre-ordered from the following locations:
Waterstones
Bookshop.org
Blackwells
WHSmith
Foyles
Hatchards
Amazon

In France, available from mid-November at Editions de la Martinière.