Givenchy has appointed Sarah Burton as its new Creative director, overseeing both men’s and women’s collections. The appointment comes nearly a year after Burton’s departure from Alexander McQueen, where she spent her entire fashion career and served as Creative director for 13 years after the founder’s death. As Givenchy’s eighth designer and second female couturier (after fellow designer Clare Waight Keller), Burton follows the departure of Matthew M. Williams at the end of last year.
Burton’s introduction to the ateliers on the Avenue George V, an important ritual in French fashion, is scheduled for this week. Sidney Toledano, chairman of the Givenchy board, praised Burton as “an exceptional creative talent” whose “unique vision and approach to fashion will be invaluable to this iconic maison, known for its audacity and haute couture.”
Expressing her excitement, Burton said, “It is a great honor to be joining the beautiful house of Givenchy, it is a jewel. I am so excited to be able to write the next chapter in the story of this iconic house and to bring to Givenchy my own vision, sensibility and beliefs.”
Succeeding Lee Alexander McQueen, who designed for Givenchy from 1996 to 2001, Burton’s appointment marks a significant moment for the French house.
Alessandro Valenti, Givenchy’s new CEO, described Burton’s arrival as “a very exciting moment for Givenchy.”
Founded in 1952 and owned by LVMH since 1998, the house has seen several notable designers since founder Hubert de Givenchy retired in 1995, including John Galliano, who was Hubert de Givenchy’s immediate successor, and later Riccardo Tisci, who held the position of Creative director for 12 years and is considered the most successful designer to have led the house.
Burton’s journey in fashion began at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, where she studied print fashion in the late 1990s. An introduction by her lecturer, Simon Ungless, led to an internship with Alexander McQueen in 1996. After graduating in 1997, Burton became McQueen’s design assistant and then head of womenswear in 2000.
Known for her reserved nature and preference for working behind the scenes, Burton is considered a true couturier in the spirit of the founder. Her debut collection for Alexander McQueen in Spring/Summer 2011 demonstrated her ability to bring a feminine touch to McQueen’s edgy aesthetic.
Her first designs for Givenchy are expected to debut during Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025 in March 2025, offering a first look at her creative vision outside of Alexander McQueen.
Read more: End of an era as Sarah Burton leaves Alexander McQueen after 26 years
