Givenchy (, ) is a French luxury fashion and perfume house. It hosts the brand of haute couture and ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics of Parfums Givenchy. The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy and is a member of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Prêt-à-Porter. It is currently owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH.
From 2 May 2017 until 10 April 2020, its artistic director was Clare Waight Keller, the first woman to hold that position.
History
Formation and first years
In 1952, Hubert de Givenchy founded his own luxury house and launched a new collection Les Séparables with some floaty skirts and puffy blouses made from raw cotton.
Givenchy achieved critical acclaim with Vogue magazine praising his "wonderful first collection" 14. The collection included the Bettina Blouse a white shirt named in honour of Bettina Graziani, which was then painted in one of René Gruau's works.
The New York Times magazine published an article entitled "A Star Is Born" and l’Album du Figaro also wrote a feature stating that "In one night, Hubert de Givenchy became one of fashion’s most famous children with his first collection."
Models such as Suzy Parker and Dorian Leigh became muses of the house.
In terms of innovation, he used 'shirting', a raw cotton similar to pattern paper, to create his chic and casual collections.
In 1954, Hubert de Givenchy presented the first shirt dress (which later evolved in to a sack dress in 1957). He was the first high fashion designer to create a luxury ready-to-wear clothing line, called "Givenchy Université", which was produced in Paris using machinery imported from the United States.
1950s: Balenciaga and Givenchy
In 1956, both Cristóbal Balenciaga and Hubert de Givenchy presented their collection in New York during a charity gala in aid of the American hospital in Paris.
Expansion
In 1969, Hubert de Givenchy launched his fashion line for men, "Gentleman Givenchy". The boutique was opened in November on Avenue George V.
On the advice of Cristóbal Balenciaga, Givenchy developed his licences in the 1970s, in order to protect the Haute Couture collections.
During this period, the House of Givenchy diversified its activities to create shoes, jewellery, ties, tableware, upholstery and kimono. Hubert de Givenchy was chosen to design the interior of Hilton hotels around the world, and even a car (the Continental Mark V).
Hubert de Givenchy was elected the personality of the year 1979 and the most elegant man of the year by The Best Magazine.
In 1982, a retrospective presided by Audrey Hepburn was organized by the Fashion Institute of Technology of New York.
The following year Hubert de Givenchy was named « chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur » and in 1985, Jacques Lang, the French minister of the Culture, gave him the Oscar dedicated to the art of elegance during a celebration at the Opera in Paris.
Departure of Hubert de Givenchy
In 1988, Givenchy joined LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Hubert de Givenchy left the company in 1995. He was succeeded by a variety of young British creators including John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Julien MacDonald.
2005–2017, Riccardo Tisci
The reins for both collections were passed on to Riccardo Tisci in 2005 when he was named artistic director of womenswear. Tisci introduced his own style and influences, changed the house codes, and added a touch of dark and sensual romanticism.
Philippe Fortunato, the former chief operating of LVMH Moet Hennessy Vuitton SA – China, is the current Chief Operating at Givenchy.
Givenchy designs have been worn by a number of celebrities on red carpet occasions, including Rooney Mara at the 2012 Academy awards. Also responsible for working with Madonna designing her costumes for her Sticky & Sweet tour as well as the 2012 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
In 2016, Tisci launched a sportswear collaboration with Nike called NikeLab x RT: Training Redefined aimed at Olympic athletes for the 2016 Summer Olympics as everyday gym users.
In February 2017, Riccardo Tisci announced that he would be leaving Givenchy, after twelve years working as the brands Creative Director.
2017–2020, Clare Waight Keller
The House of Givenchy announced the appointment of Clare Waight Keller as artistic director, effective 2 May 2017. Waight Keller took on all creative responsibilities, including Women's and Men's Ready-to-wear and accessories collections, as well as Haute Couture. Meghan Markle wore a gown from Claire Waight Keller at her wedding to Prince Harry on 19 May 2018.