Givenchy FW19 >>> A walk in the Garden of Eden

Clare Waight Keller’s latest collection for the French house is inspired by a winter walk through the Garden of Eden.

The fashion show of Givenchy’s FW19 collection, christened “The Winter of Eden”, took place in the Parisian Jardin des Plantes to create an imaginary based on botanical aesthetics. Waight Keller‘s new proposal has united two different styles, achieving a harmonious contrast that blends romantic reminiscences with tailoring in pronounced and sharp forms.

The snake printthat has colonised this season promises to continue to be at the top with Givenchy, repeated in various garments in the collection – an evocation, we suppose, of the snake that incited Eva to bite the apple in the Paradise. With regard to the chromatic pattern, neutral tones have reigned, interrupted by pieces in pink, green, klein blue and orange. The oversized shoulders, already seen in Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, continue to tread strongly on the catwalk and have become one of the key elements of this collection.

Tweed and herringbone coats, tight waistlines with belts, mini bags and maxi heels have contributed to consolidating a feminine aesthetic that maintains all the brand’s savoir faire. A prêt-à-porter that made a clear difference compared to the haute couture of the previous Givenchy show, with more accessible and simple garments.

Givenchy FW19

64 photos

The romantic touches came from the hand of pleated floral fabrics (another protagonist print) and fluid fabrics that built an excellent antithesis to structured suits and square coats. A perfect duality between the round and the sharp that radiated elegance and sensuality. Yet, as with so many other designers, this game takes place at a dangerous limit: has Clare Waight Keller achieved a contemporary variety or has she lost the concept and coherence of an identity aesthetic? The truth is that the designer has moved away from her own stylistic beginnings of Chloé and the knitted fabric that characterized her creations. A change of path that may arouse criticism in the industry but which, without a doubt, forms part of the development of a creative and artistic work.