Clare Waight Keller Is Staging Her First Stand-Alone Givenchy Menswear Show—Here’s What to Expect

Clare Waight Keller Is Staging Her First Stand-Alone Givenchy Menswear Show—Here’s What to Expect

Clare Waight Keller is about to add to the excitement of the surge of action in Paris this menswear week with her first stand-alone Givenchy menswear presentation today. Eighteen months into her tenure at the house, she’s gotten fully into the dynamic of designing for both collections—and the reaction from men has been rapid.

“It was important to bring back a voice for men’s—men’s is very important to the business,“ she said. “It’s going to be in the couture salon.” Nowhere has Givenchy’s gearing up for both genders been more prominently visible than in the fact that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are now both clients. At Princess Eugenie’s wedding, both Sussexes were in Givenchy—Harry in a bespoke suit, made by a British tailor whom Waight Keller has brought in as part of the general powering up of the in-house ateliers.

Today’s mini-show is ready-to-wear. A preview of a few of her looks shows a couple of ’70s-looking double-breasted suits with flared trousers guaranteed to get people talking. “I love that long leg! It’s more about the ’70s seen through the ’90s but with modern fabrics,” she said. “ I’ve seen a lot of young guys around the office wearing high-waisted pants. There’s definitely something going on with that generation, now.”

A move toward more elegant, dandified tastes, then? Waight Keller reckons so—and says she has the proof. “From the beginning, I always put four or five men’s looks into the couture shows. And it was a surprise to me—and even to the house—that suddenly it was driving a real request and desire in the men’s business.” She smiles. ”Considering the house had been much more known for sportswear—we now have a real men’s couture clientele. It’s really interesting—the demand for that flamboyancy, the embroidery, the sharpness of the shoulder and proportions.”

The list of of male actors and celebrities who’ve been wearing Givenchy recently—including Jay-Z, Harry Styles, Idris Elba, and Rami Malek, to name a few—speaks for itself. “Obviously, streetwear has been a huge movement, and we all know it’s very relevant,” she said. “But at the same time, as a creative you move fashion forward. It’s important that the vision shifts—that was part of my statement with the womenswear. And now it’s really exciting to get that buzz out of menswear.”

Clare Waight Keller Is Staging Her First Standalone Givenchy Menswear Show—Here’s What to Expect