At Carine Roitfeld’s 69th birthday party in Paris on Wednesday night, Matthew M. Williams confided that he recently took up gardening, growing everything from cherry trees and lavender to roses on his balcony.
On Thursday, he paraded a spring Givenchy collection that had flowers as its main leitmotif, further advancing a sleeper trend this Paris season.
The designer said he and house founder Hubert de Givenchy shared an appreciation for flowers, and he relished the opportunity to explore various applications, from whorled fabric rosettes on gossamer dresses to hand-painted orchids on a slim leather skirt.
This was a more focused and dressy collection as Williams all but relinquished his penchant for varsity style, heavily worked denim, worn-looking jersey, and logos. Indeed, there were no pants.
Backstage, he also talked less about clothing archetypes and more about a broad exploration of flou, including touches of lace, and loose, deconstructed tailoring.
The show unfurled in a blinding white tent, the long white benches stacked with A-list talent, including Sigourney Weaver, Claire Foy, “Dunkirk” actor Barry Keoghan, and Cher, who was a brunette Wednesday night at Balmain but a blonde Thursday at Givenchy.
Williams opted for a soothing Brian Eno-produced instrumental track in a season where slower, gentler music seems to be in vogue. He introduced a boxy new satchel handbag ringed with a slim belt, and a frame bag with heavy, bird-shaped hardware that winked to sculptors Constantin Brâncuși and Ossip Zadkine.
This was a safe outing for Williams, lighter on hardware and tough glamour, and with some pretty moments, particularly the pale mauve and yellow satin cocoon coats, and the evening gowns with lace fanning near the face, or glittering fringe flapping under black georgette.
There was even a strapless, hourglass dress in a vivid shade of blue that won’t get confused with a certain New York jeweler.
