Matthew Williams debuted his first collection as the Creative Director of Givenchy, with the co-ed womenswear and menswear Spring/Summer 2021 collection. “You find the pieces of the puzzle for a collection, building it from symbols and signs, but never forgetting the reality of the person who will wear it and bring it to life,” Williams said, in a statement. “The women and men should be powerful and effortless, equal and joyful, a reflection of who they really are – only more so. It’s about finding the humanity in luxury.”
The designer started to work on the collection during the pandemic and took him only two months to complete it. The Spring/Summer 2021 collection represents a new beginning for the brand and includes at the same time the distinctive elements that characterize Givenchy. From the drapes of Hubert de Givenchy to the transparency, from the linear necklines to the deep plunge on the back, as well as the horn detailing created by McQueen and never revisited before. Matthew M. Williams vision for Givenchy mix elegance, playfulness and pragmatism.
Hardware is the real protagonist of the collection. It’s this detail that “unites the women and men of Givenchy, a symbolic nexus of utility and luxury and the place where this collection began,” the brand said. William’s inspiration was Paris Lover Locks at Pont des Arts: a unisex object, useful and decorative, but also represents a commitment. The G Chains, composed buy G shaped rings, are destined to be one of the brand’s most iconic accessories. It’s a constant alternation of past and new elements, by re-interpreting some key elements of the brand’s archive, like the Antigona bag and the introduction of the new unisex Cut-out bag and the Marshmallow Slide that complete many looks from the collection. The experimentation with technical fabrics, typical of Williams, redefine and contextualize the Givenchy’s tradition, which respects the people who will wear their pieces.
