Summer 2023 Women

by Matthew M. Williams

‘In creating the collection, I wanted each silhouette to embody the exchange between traditionally French and American ways of dressing in the urban environment. It’s a study of the elements we associate with ‘Parisian chic’ and ‘Californian cool’, and how those contrasts have integrated in the digital borderless world.'

— Matthew M. Williams.

A transatlantic clash of enduring city wardrobes: for the Givenchy Spring Summer 2023 collection, Artistic Director Matthew M. Williams proposes a cultural exchange between the cosmopolitan dress codes of France and America, resonated in the influence of Hubert de Givenchy upon both domains of style.

This study of collective dress codes begins with an adaptation and clarification of the Maison’s own genetics.

Dresses, skirts and blouses gathered at the centre draw on a storied house technique, while Givenchy’s emblematic black dresses are constructed with integrated asymmetrical stole panels draped from the neckline. Box jackets constructed in tweed and boucle conjure archival skirt suits, re-imagined with Givenchy’s 4G logo.

Tailoring is intensified at the shoulder and nipped at the waist, coats structured with zips at the front transform into capes, and classic blazers are imbued with boned corsets.

The ‘Voyou’, a new signature everyday bag, combines the language of a ladies’ handbag with a casual biker attitude, for a typical Parisian spirit. With a versatile shoulder strap and a slouchy V-silhouette, the’ Voyou’ is forged in tumbled shiny calfskin highlighted by etched hardware and interpreted in a kaleidoscope of colours. It appears alongside re-editioned bags elevated in exquisite leather and fabrications and adorned with hardware and new handles.