Givenchy released its first runway show with creative director Matthew M. Williams at the helm, and the recorded film for Paris Fashion Week was opened by 22-year-old Meadow Walker, the daughter of late actor Paul Walker. The actor, best known for starring in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, died in 2013.
Meadow Walker is signed to DNA Models in New York and kicked off the year with an ad campaign for Proenza Schouler’s Pre-Fall 2021 collection, followed by the label’s runway show at New York Fashion Week.
The 10-minute Givenchy video Walker appears in transports viewers to an industrial space that combines fashion with underground nightlife. Male and female models navigate maze-like metal walkways before Walker is spotlit from above, beginning the procession. In the vast space, they stomp to the driving sounds of Robert Hood, a producer and DJ who hails from Detroit and is known as one of the founding fathers of minimal techno. The autumn-winter 2021 ready-to-wear collection features layered silhouettes in mostly black and creams, including oversized outwear and tailored blazers, along with details that include architectural shoulders and harnesses.
Paris Fashion Week has played out in virtual shows because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, and many designers have expressed the challenges of pandemic life through their collections and films. Givenchy, in its press statement, calls the new men’s and women’s collections “an offering that transcends troubled times.”
“In many ways, this collection is about a constant tension between two worlds. It’s about finding personal meaning in difficult circumstances; it’s about sincerity in what we do rather than strategy,” Williams said in a press statement. “We wanted to bring a sense of lived reality alongside precision, elegance and extravagance in the clothing and looks. Ultimately, fashion for us is a way of being, feeling and connecting rather than a game to be played. It’s almost like monumentalising the everyday, filling it with emotion – like music you can wear.”
Williams – who is known for his streetwear brand 1017 Alyx 9SM, as well as his work for Lady Gaga’s Haus of Gaga – was appointed Givenchy’s creative director last year after Clare Waight Keller stepped down from the role. The French luxury label’s first campaign under Williams’ direction was released for the spring-summer 2021 collection and featured the imagery of Williams’ longtime collaborator, British photographer Nick Knight.
When Williams joined Givenchy, he signaled the direction he would take, saying in a statement that he was looking forward to moving the label “into a new era based on modernity and inclusivity.”
“In these unprecedented times for the world, I want to send a message of hope, together with my community and colleagues, and intend to contribute toward positive change,” he said.
