Sarah Burton Is Givenchy’s New Creative Director

Ask any fashion enthusiast what the most shocking news of 2023 was, and they’ll likely share it was in September, when Sarah Burton announced her departure from Alexander McQueen. After leading the atelier for 13 years, the renowned designer presented her final runway show during the Spring/Summer 2024 Paris Fashion Week Circuit. And now, almost a year later, Burton set the internet ablaze again with another status update. On September 9, in the middle of New York Fashion Week, Givenchy confirmed Burton as its newest creative director — effective bright and early that morning.

After the third day of NYFW, while the style set snoozed in their five-star hotels, the France-based label woke everyone up with the aforementioned dispatch. Givenchy shared the news via Instagram, stating Burton is now responsible for the brand’s women’s and men’s collections. The now-viral post received over 20,000 likes in just a few hours, with commenters calling this the “best fashion news” of the year so far. “It is a great honor to be joining the beautiful house of Givenchy, it is a jewel,” Burton shared in an official 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.”

Burton’s exciting appointment comes eight months after Givenchy’s former creative director, Matthew Williams stepped down following just three years in the role. While the studio teams led design in the interim, the iconic brand has been without an inheritor since Williams’ January 2024 abdication. “Sarah Burton is an exceptional creative talent whose work I have passionately followed for many years,” chairman of the Givenchy board, Sidney Toledano shared in a press release. “Her unique vision and approach to fashion will be invaluable to this iconic Maison, known for its audacity and haute couture. I am convinced that her creative leadership will contribute to the future success and international standing of the Maison.”

Burton will take the Givenchy stage for the first time in March 2025, during Paris Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2025 circuit. In the meantime, WWD reports she’ll have her initial meetings at the ateliers in Paris this week. Burton’s deviation to the label is fitting for the creative — she had a front-row seat to Alexander McQueen’s reign as Givenchy’s chief designer from 1996 to 2001. Burton first joined Alexander McQueen as an intern in 1996, and became the atelier’s head of design in 2010, after McQueen passed away. “Above all, I want to thank Lee Alexander McQueen,” Burton said in a statement following her final Alexander McQueen presentation in September 2023. “He taught me so much, and I am eternally grateful to him. I am looking forward to the future and my next chapter and will always carry this treasured time with me.” All this to say? McQueen’s legacy will carry on as Burton makes her way to Givenchy.

During her 26 years with Alexander McQueen, Burton garnered a slew of impressive feats. For one, she was commissioned by Kate Middleton to create her iconic wedding dress in 2011. Complete with long lace sleeves, a nine-foot train, and a V-neck décolleté, the gown was admired by over 162 million viewers worldwide. A year later, in 2012, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Burton an Order of the British Empire for her services to the British fashion industry. Alongside British fans like Harry Styles, Cate Blanchett, and the Princess of Wales, of course, the designer also forged steadfast relationships with the Hollywood set. Elle Fanning and Lady Gaga are some of Burton’s biggest fans. Fanning attended Burton’s final Alexander McQueen show in a vintage beehive-inspired gown from the label’s Spring/Summer 2013 line. And back in 2019, Gaga took home the Academy Award for Best Actress dressed in a custom Alexander McQueen black ballgown and eye-catching Tiffany & Co. jewels.

Between her impressive connection to Hollywood and her ode to Alexander McQueen’s signature style, there’s no doubt Burton will make waves at Givenchy. As you await Burton’s burgeoning collection, stay tuned to TZR for more updates regarding her exciting new position.