Sarah Burton is Givenchy’s new creative director

Sarah Burton is the new creative director of Givenchy, the LVMH-owned fashion house announced on Monday.

Burton, who will be responsible for the creative direction of all of the women’s and men’s collections effective immediately, called Givenchy “a jewel”: “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,” she said in a statement.

In September 2023, Burton became a free agent when Vogue Business reported that the spring/summer '24 collection would be her last for Alexander McQueen, ending a 26-year run with the brand and 13 years as its creative director. The show was an emotional send-off, full of tears and capped by a long standing ovation that saw the closure of a deep relationship. Burton took over the creative director role after the passing of founder Lee Alexander McQueen in 2010 and helped grow the Kering brand’s sales to about €830 million as of 2022, according to industry estimates. Fashion has since waited patiently to see where she would land in her next act.

“Sarah Burton is an exceptional creative talent whose work I have passionately followed for many years,” Sidney Toledano, chairman of the Givenchy board, said in a statement. “Her unique vision and approach to fashion will be invaluable to this iconic maison, known for its audacity and haute couture. I am convinced that her creative leadership will contribute to the future success and international standing of the maison.”

Givenchy announced on 1 December that former creative director Matthew Williams was stepping down on 1 January 2024 after three years in the role, with no successor on deck. The house’s studio teams led design in the interim, while Williams returned his full attention to his brand 1017 Alyx 9SM.

Givenchy, which is part of the luxury conglomerate’s Fashion Group that also includes Celine and Loewe and is led by Toledano, appointed a new CEO, Alessandro Valenti in July, former president of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) at Louis Vuitton. “The arrival of Sarah Burton as head of our creative design is a very exciting moment for Givenchy,” Valenti said. “Her remarkable career path and creative vision have already won her a vast fan base, and we are certain that under her direction, Givenchy will continue to innovate and captivate an extensive audience across the world stage. I eagerly anticipate the new creative energy Sarah will bring as she works alongside our outstanding teams in our exceptional workshops and we embark on this new chapter in the history of Givenchy.”

Burton’s hire is a significant one, not only because she’s taking on a role that McQueen himself held from 1996 to 2001. Burton becomes one of just five women to hold a creative director title at an LVMH house, alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior, Camille Miceli for Pucci, Silvia Fendi (with Kim Jones) for Fendi and Stella McCartney. Prior to her appointment, a swathe of vacancies saw white male creative directors – many of them unknowns – elevated to high-profile positions, including Burton’s successor at Alexander McQueen, Seán McGirr. Burton is the second woman to head design at Givenchy: Williams’s predecessor, Clare Waight Keller, held the role from 2017 to 2020.

Burton’s collections for Alexander McQueen have long been praised for their precise tailoring, as well as their femininity. Her last show for the house was inspired by female anatomy, she wrote in the show notes, and dedicated to Lee McQueen. Vogue’s Sarah Mower called it “a visceral act of female symbolism – a collection fiercely true to herself and to all the values, skills, and beauty she’s upheld for 26 years”.

Burton’s debut for Givenchy will be for autumn/winter '25 in March at Paris Fashion Week.