Givenchy unveils fresh campaign for Clare Waight Keller debut

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Jul 11, 2017

Ahead of the first Givenchy show under the helm of Clare Waight Keller -- set to take place as a mixed show (men's and womenswear) on October 1 -- the veil has been lifted on the creative course, now newly set for the Paris label. The first images of the impending collection have been published in a new campaign dubbed "transformation seduction."

The advertisement features four black and white portraits of young women and men posing with a cat, evoking sensuality and mystery. Lensed by Steven Meisel, the campaign is slated to hit the web in September, as well as print magazines and billboards across major cities all around the world.

Following the departure of Riccardo Tisci, who piloted the creative side of Givenchy for 12 years, Clare Waight Keller was appointed creative director in March. The new images released indicate her direction of the fashion house, offering a certain kind of softness and nonchalance mixed with high-end seduction and zest.

The models Saffron Vadher and Meghan Roche wear just a lace blouse, while their male counterparts, Elias Bouremah and Kolton Bowen, appear androgynously styled with a nude torso and simple smoking pants. Then, there's the cat; made the object of intimacy of the shots inside a lounge or a bedroom in an apartment in New York.  

"I like the simplicity of the portraits and the gaze of each model, direct and captivating. They evoke the power, the audacity and the graphic quality that Hubert de Givenchy gave to all that he designed," explained the British designer in a press release.

 
Now at Givenchy, following her six year creative director stint at Chloé, Waight plunged herself into the maison's archives, where she discovered "a collection of silk prints dated from 1953, representing an extremely realistic feline with piercing orange eyes."

This same look is found in the shots by photographer Steven Meisel.

"I love the idea of a woman looking like cat: certain people remind me of cats. They can look a little reserved, but they have this serene look, direct and seductive. You want to meet them, get to know them and be like them. I wanted to play with modernity, these expressions and this attitude: for me, it's a perfect metaphor for the evolution of Givenchy," concluded the creative director.
 
In describing the Givenchy woman, the label's founder said: "She possesses an extraordinary flair to dress up for no reason. She knows how to look at herself in a mirror, to pose, to make what she wears look chic. And since she only likes simplicity, she is always faultlessly elegant without fault. "

A roadmap that Clare Waight Keller intends to follow.