Givenchy RTW Spring 2019
Gender identity is one of the most pervasive conversations in fashion right now. It seemed Clare Waight Keller was getting in on it, too, when she revealed that the main inspiration for her spring Givenchy show was the life of Annemarie Schwarzenbach, a Swiss writer in the 1930s who bucked gender norms from an early age, dressing like a boy, dressing like a girl as she pleased without much resistance from her parents. Making a gender-neutral collection wasn’t of interest to Waight Keller, but rather how a woman drawn to her masculine side defines her femininity. “I felt there was something fascinating about the fact that [gender] is a topical thing right now, but there was something about [Schwarzenberg’s story] for me that talked about a different kind of femininity because there was a modesty to it,” Waight Keller said before the show.
Photos of Schwarzenberg depict an elegant woman with short, neatly combed hair, who clearly preferred boyish tailoring and sportswear, but wasn’t opposed to an evening gown. She projects confidence, a sense of ease in her own skin and sensuality. She was apparently quite the seductress.
Waight Keller captured this attitude masterfully. The models who opened the show all had short hair like Schwarzenbach. They walked fast, with purpose, no time for any B.S, in clothes that were strong, definitely female but devoid of any preciousness.
The first look was a dress cut just below the knee with a flowing asymmetrical skirt done in sky blue, soft accordion pleats with a high neck, three-quarter sleeves, a gentle waist and stiff ruffle on one side of the bodice. All of the dresses in the collection reflected womanly sophistication, fluid but with a steely allure. Some were revealing but restrained, such as a green one-shouldered modernist toga, and a pinkish ivory style that covered the neck but was cut out around the bust and ribs, with marigold inserts in the skirt. Many offered full coverage with attention to the shoulders, where Waight Keller accented engineered floral and hologram prints with petite capelets that framed just the shoulders and collar bone. It gave the gown a regal posture without adding volume or width.
Tailoring was robust but designed to highlight the female form. Waight Keller made a point to emphasize the waist with ultra high-waisted trousers and cargo pants that curved at the hips. Jackets were neat and minimally cut with the shoulder pulled slightly forward and a crisp sleeve with a sharp pleat down the front. Her accessories were thoughtful, designed to function without sacrificing whimsy. There were kitten heel sandals and tromp l’oeil shoe-boots with heels no higher than a tack. Shoulder-dusting metal earrings provided the drama.
That was the women’s collection. The show was coed, and Waight Keller didn’t model the men’s off of Schwarzenbach so much as she let them mirror the women’s lineup — minus the dresses. The guys wore military-inflected tailoring with pants cinched at the waist and sleeveless shirts. There was an oddly tacky teal all-leather look that felt out of place with the trenches, crossbody bags and metallic tailoring for evening, all of which was suited to modern men who are in touch with their feminine energy.
Launch Gallery: Givenchy RTW Spring 2019
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