Inspired by the silver screen and the heyday of French cinema, Clare Waight Keller’s Givenchy autumn/winter 2020 show began with arthouse drama — complete with dry ice, red lights and eery corridors — and ended with a flurry of fringe and feathers.
As we watched the collection emerge on the runway in Paris, it was apparent that Waight Keller wanted to reaffirm her take on contemporary power dressing with a collection dedicated to the imperfect women of French new wave cinema.
The collection revealed graphic shapes in pure colours, with standout sculptural cape dresses catching the attention of the front row. Seventies style tailoring proved refined, yet relaxed via high-waist flares piped with contrast tones, peak lapel blazers and a reversible duster coat lined in smooth leather.
Contrasting strong silhouettes with soft shapes, sharp shoulders fell into feminine pouf sleeves, elevated by elbow-length gloves and modest hems exuding with elegance. Flowing plissé skirts were layered over trousers, while printed dresses offered a punch of colour and pizzazz, and a supervised floppy hat added an extra dose of cinematic drama.
Plush faux fur and fluffy knits added chic comfort to powerful forms, before the sequence of embellishments, tinsel and tassels, and sequins and shine stormed across the runway — a sparkling ending to effortlessly elegant AW20 collection.
