Powerful Femininity and Eroticism Take Over Givenchy SS26
Sarah Burton’s second outing for the maison is as intimate as it is empowering.
It’s almost hard to believe that this is only Sarah Burton’s second show at Givenchy. Where some designers might take a few seasons to find their stride, the former Alexander McQueen designer has already established a new identity for the house and for herself – and it is deeply empowering and glamorous.
Instead of relying on masculine garments and codes to empower women (an effective, though perhaps overused trope), Burton dove headfirst into creating a collection that is both erotic and sensual for Spring/Summer 2026, showing off female emotional intelligence and the intimacy of dressing and undressing, the show notes read.
Inspired by the photographs of Swiss photographer René Groebli’s wife, Rita, taken during their honeymoon in 1954, Burton used those private moments as fuel for her powerful and sexy collection. The most literal interpretation of that was, perhaps, the bra look (a proper bra, for proper breasts) paired with a wrap skirt. But there are subtle references throughout the rest of the collection, too.
Crisp tailoring and clear cuts were softened with ballerina flats; dresses made girlish with spaghetti straps and high hems which no doubt will be all over red carpets come Awards Season. By removing the inner canvas construction of jackets she brought a lightness to her layers that felt stripped back, in a confident and collected way.
To bring her vision to life, Burton enlisted a cast of the busiest and most in-demand models: Alex Consani, Mona Tougaard and Kaia Gerber joined Vittoria Ceretti, Mariacarla Boscono and OG supers Eva Herzigová, Liu Wen and Naomi Campbell. Her front row was also emblematic of the new Givenchy woman: Jenna Ortega, in a sheer, crimson-red gown; Cynthia Erivo, wearing a backwards suit jacket from Burton’s debut collection; Raye, in a netted number; Charlize Theron and Gwendoline Christie in the brand’s tailoring.
It isn’t to say that men can’t or shouldn’t dress women, but it can’t go unacknowledged that Burton is one of the few women at the head of luxury fashion brands today, and it really shows.
Take a look at highlights from the Givenchy show above and for more from Paris Fashion Week, check out our recap here.
