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Sarah Burton has been announced as the new creative director of Givenchy, the LVMH-owned French fashion house.
The British designer is perhaps best known for creating the Princess of Wales’s wedding dress and Pippa Middleton’s maid of honour dress for the 2011 royal wedding.
Burton succeeds Matthew Williams, who stepped down from Givenchy as creative director in January after three years in the role, leaving the house’s studio team to lead design in the interim period.
“It is a great honor to be joining the beautiful house of Givenchy, it is a jewel,” Burton said in a statement. “I am so excited to be able to write the next chapter in the story of this iconic house and to bring to Givenchy my own vision, sensibility and beliefs.”
It’s something of a full circle moment, as Burton – who spent 26 at British fashion label Alexander McQueen – is following in the footsteps of designer Alexander ‘Lee’ McQueen, who designed for Givenchy from 1996 to 2001.
Burton joined Alexander McQueen in 1997 and quickly became head of womenswear in 2000. Following McQueen’s death in February 2010, Burton was announced the new creative director of the brand.
Her first collection shown in Paris received critical acclaim, and during her tenure she dressed celebrities like Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama, Cate Blanchett and Beyonce.
But her most notable fashion moment came in 2011, when she designed Kate’s wedding dress – an intricate ivory gown with lace applique floral detail. The skirt of the wedding dress was intended to represent an opening flower with its subtle pleating.
Burton also designed Kate’s maid of honour’s dress, worn by her sister, Pippa Middleton, which had capped sleeves and a scooped neckline.
Burton’s latest royal triumph was designing the Princess of Wales’ long white dress for the coronation in May 2023, accompanied by a tiny white caped coat for her daughter, Princess Charlotte. It was another unforgettable image immortalising Burton’s knack for crisp and modern formal design.
Kate has worn Burton’s designs on numerous public appearances, including a blue suit on a visit to Surrey prison days after the designer announced she would be stepping down from Alexander McQueen. The decision to wear the suit seemingly paid tribute to the Burton’s service to British fashion.
Burton’s collections at Alexander McQueen were praised for their expressions of femininity, hope and renewal explored through precise tailoring. Often inspired by the Victorian era and nature, her final shows explored theatrical experimentation alongside methodical patterning and embroidery.
She was named Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2011, and was awarded an OBE in 2012 for her services to the fashion industry.
The move is significant, as it makes Burton one of the few female designers to hold the creative director title at a major fashion house – with her peers including Stella McCartney and Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior.
She’s the second woman to take the top job at Givenchy, following in the footsteps of Clare Waight Keller – who held the role between 2017 and 2020, during which time she designed the Duchess of Sussex’s wedding dress.
How Burton will bring the techniques she’s become known for to the French fashion house will be revealed next year, as her debut for Givenchy will be for autumn/winter 2025 in March at Paris Fashion Week.