Abstract
This study re-examines new aesthetic values pursued by Givenchy, analyzing by the Haute Couture line's chief designers. The following conclusions have been reached: Hubert de Givenchy pursued modernity, infused with simplicity and structured stability. In particular, Audrey Hepburn, who was a loyal client and used his line in several movies, provided him the platform for international exposure which he used to further develop what became known as the "Hepburn" style. The subsequent brief tenure of John Galliano did yield the fantastic and magnificent "Galliano-style", but with irregularity. Based on romanticism, it redefined fashion using a wide range of colors, subjects and decoration. His successor, Alexander McQueen, applied opposite elements using a hybrid technique of pastiche, parody and collage. With innovative inspiration he compromised the concepts of gender, time, space and cultures and recreated futuristic forms of nature, animals, insects and mythical images. Julien Macdonald, who was appointed in 2001 as the Artistic Director for the women's collections, minimized his individual style and preferred feminine, graceful and sexy silhouettes. He breathed fresh life in to Givenchy Haute Couture, reinterpreting the Hepburn style in a modernistic mode. Being passed on the responsibility for both collections (i.e., haute couture and ready-to-wear) in 2005, Riccardo Tisci redefined elegance, combining his unique and tailored gothic style with Givenchy's grace. He is developing the future of Givenchy, experimenting with volume, silhouettes, new kinds of fabric and techniques.
