Simply Abu Dhabi XXXI

GIvENCHY A fter being at the helm of Chloé for six years, Claire Waight Keller was appointed last year as creative director of Givenchy, “transformed” after 12 years of reign of Italian designer Riccardo Tisci who has now left the French fashion house for England’s most famous fashion brand, Burberry. NowWaight Keller is on her second collection for the French house, part of LvMH. The collection by Claire Waight Keller reminds us of her innocent yet powerful ideas. The dominant theme is the grit and glamour of Berlin on the cusp of the 1980s, with cinematic vignettes portraying the stark photogenic rakishness of the nightlife of the era. The collection’s silhouette is razor-cut that gradually mellows into spirited volumes: graphic and stripped- down lines bond together with cascading yet rigorous structures (especially for jackets and trousers) The colours are shiny, metallic but discreet like intense black, tobacco, oily blue, peacock and deep purple. Faux fur (Givenchy has joined the sustainable fashion movement that pervades fashion and which many brands support), leather pants, tailored but comfortable coats and jackets that evoke the exuberant spirit of the Berlin nightlife scene. Accessories blend a metropolitan fusion with functionality and practicality: rugged boots, the Jaw, a new quilted tote with a rolled-up handle inspired by scuba diving gear while the Gv Pocket bags have become mini and adorn belts. For being her first men’s show in her career, it was a positive first step into men’s fashion. In fact, Waight Keller has created an image of a modern male that looks at the world in a different way, an intellectual with finesse and style.