Sarah Burton is now the new creative director at Givenchy, ending months of speculation about the British designer’s next step. Burton, 50, stepped down from the top spot at Alexander McQueen last September after spending her entire career at the brand, and the previous thirteen as creative director.
According to WWD, which confirmed the news on Monday, Burton will begin her work this week at the ateliers in Paris, overseeing both the men’s and women’s collections for Givenchy. She will present her first collection for the house in Paris in March 2025. Haider Ackermann, who was recently announced as Tom Ford’s new creative director, will also be hosting his debut show that week, meaning the fall/winter 2025 season is already shaping up to be an exciting one.
Following her exit from McQueen last year, the fashion world was anxious to see where Burton would land. We have never seen Burton design for a brand other than Alexander McQueen, though she more than proved herself throughout her time as creative director with her tailoring skills and tongue-in-cheek designs. It was her design for Kate Middleton’s wedding dress that helped catapult Burton to international fame in her own right, and her innovation in ready-to-wear that kept her there. She received the title of Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2011 and gained the honor of an Order of the British Empire (OBE) a year later.
Burton bows at her final show for Alexander McQueen in September 2023.
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Beyond that, however, Burton’s new job means she is once again following in the footsteps of her late friend and mentor Lee McQueen. He served as Givenchy’s creative director from 1996 to 2001. In fact, Burton was originally hired at the McQueen label full-time while the founder was dividing his time between the two houses.
Most recently, the French brand was helmed by Matthew Williams, who stepped down in late 2023. Givenchy, specifically, has experienced a bit of a revolving door when it comes to creative directors. Prior to Williams, Clare Waight Keller was in the role from 2017 to 2020, taking over after Riccardo Tisci exited following a 12-year stint. Burton will now be the eighth designer to try her hand at Givenchy, and the second woman to do so.
“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.”
