Without a doubt, Givenchy’s fashion show for its latest Spring-Summer 2023 collection was a real marvel, as the models paraded through the water!
Givenchy‘s Creative Director Matthew M. Williams went a decade beyond the 2000s with the house’s Spring/Summer 2023 menswear collection. There was an apparent 1990s aesthetic to the collection and not just in his styling choices.
Williams mixed old and new to maintain a modern menswear concept and the brand’s handcrafted heritage.
The 2023 collection was inspired by the people closest to Williams, including the artists, designers and musicians who inspired him, acting as both the world of modern menswear and Givenchy’s artisanal heritage.
Givenchy’s spring/summer 2023 menswear runway show took place in the heart of the École Militaire, located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. Matthew M. Williams did a great job with a set design in the form of a white pool. A white cube seemed to float and served as a backdrop for the models who walked on water.
Unveiling the collection, Williams said:
“Menswear was, quite naturally, the way I discovered fashion. In my practice at Givenchy, my men’s collections came from an instinctive starting point. This show is a reflection of myself and the men who surround me, from my close friends to the artists who inspired my work. It’s a dialogue with the time and culture that shape the way men dress today and tomorrow: the way new generations embrace and evolve the archetypes and dress codes of the past through their own progressive outlook. It’s a thrilling evolution and the reason I have chosen this moment to stage a stand-alone men’s show for Givenchy.”
At Givenchy, the Spring/Summer 2023 menswear collection was a remix of that idea: readopting those 1990s trends and recontextualizing them for current times and possibly beyond. Many of those design tropes were in play, the most obvious being the combination of boxers (branded with the 4G emblem right in the middle) with low-waisted pants so that the boxers were visible.
The collection featured relaxed silhouettes with simple work wear, loose-fitting blazers, biker-inspired outerwear and pants with slits at the knees to reveal the monogrammed lining.
As regards accessories, models wore the Givenchy’s specialty G-Cut eyewear, chain link necklaces, bracelets, and ski masks. The French fashion house also revealed unique textiles on the runway. Givenchy crafted its tactical vests and cargo pants from a digitally printed waterproof fabric. Fitting for the moat-style runway.
Another highlight of the collection was the footwear, which included the recently announced TK MX sneakers. Featuring a mesh and synthetic leather upper, the style came in a range of colours, from subtle white or black to bold designs in silver and yellow, silver and green, and black and yellow.
A new rain boot silhouette was also introduced, with a shape that also referenced the TK series. Made with vulcanized rubber, the rain boots debuted in a range of colours, as well as in lace-up and laceless interactions.
