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Femininity, power and fantasy at the Givenchy show
At the Givenchy Fall/Winter 2026-2027 show, Sarah Burton unveils an organic, deeply personal collection that celebrates female empowerment.
By Léa Zetlaoui.
On March 6th, 2026, Sarah Burton reopened a recurring debate within the industry through her Givenchy Fall/Winter 2026-2027 show. Only a few women are at the helm of fashion houses. Those female creative directors often seem to look at women through a pragmatic lense. Without claiming this as a universal truth, who better than a woman to understand women after all?
A successful union between Sarah Burton and Givenchy
After her two inaugural collections, the British creative director let her creativity fully blossom. Complex, daring and deeply personal, this new collection extends Hubert de Givenchy’s vision with a modern sensibility. Faithful to the founder’s spirit, Sarah Burton offers a contemporary female wardrobe that women genuinely want to wear.
As we noted in our analysis of her previous show, her appointment in September 2024 represented a double challenge. On the one hand, she had to detach herself from the influence of the McQueen era, where she worked for twenty-six years. On the other, she needed to revive the legacy of a house founded in 1952, whose codes had been diluted after several years of creative instability.
As the show came to an end, one thing was clear. Sarah Burton’s vision appears freer and lighter at Givenchy. Where McQueen imposed a dark, theatrical and gothic universe, the Parisian house opens a space for her to explore another facet of her creativity.
Fantasy as a remedy for the times
Among the aspects that make fashion such a singular industry is its ability to be both a mirror of its time and a catalyst for transformation. In that sense, the collection embraces that duality and asks, “How can we rebuild ourselves in the world we live in?” Tinged with some gravity, the question reflects on the current events occurring in 2026.
While some designers, such as Rick Owens, have chosen a solemn response, the British designer answers with an exhilarating collection imbued with fantasy. It stands as an invitation to look at the light at the end of the tunnel. This large range of interpretations is what gives fashion its evocative power.
Shaping a vision, developing a language
The Givenchy show builds steadily in audacity through fifty-six silhouettes. Details and finishing touches are getting increasingly strong throughout the presentation. As for ornamentation — largely absent from Burton’s first seasons — takes centre stage here.
First come Sarah Burton’s foundational silhouettes for the house, such as the tailored suit, the draped dress and the trench. Here, they are transformed and amplified. Take for instance the shirts whose oversized collars spill out from beneath jackets, the XXL leather pockets placed on coats, or the neutral slip dresses whose slits climb a little too high.
Flashes of vibrant colours and playful contrasts on fabrics also bring texture to the whole collection, like the supple leather or velvet dresses. Later, leopard prints, embroidered silks and lace hems carry the show into a realm of aristocratic glamour. This sense of royalty is heightened by the headpieces designed by milliner Stephen Jones. “These headwraps are the most natural hair coverings there are. Just a T-shirt. Just a twist. But it’s the right T-shirt, with the right twist,” he explained.
Drawing its pictorial inspiration from the Old Masters of Northern Europe, the Givenchy Fall/Winter 2026-2027 show takes the house back to the radiance of its early days, when Hubert de Givenchy gracefully dressed the women of his time.
All the looks from the Givenchy Fall/Winter 2026-2027 show
