Matthew Williams's First Collection for Givenchy Is Here

See every look from Spring 2021.

On Sunday, the most highly-anticipated debut of Paris Fashion Week — that of Matthew Williams at Givenchy — took place digitally, as the brand offered a “sampler” of what’s to come in this new chapter.

Much like his first visuals for the brand, Williams’s focus — and starting point — for the Spring 2021 collection is hardware, according to a press release. It’s this detail that “unites the women and men of Givenchy, a symbolic nexus of utility and luxury and the place where this collection began,” the brand said. (And, once again, Paris’s love locks are cited as an inspiration for the designer.)

“You find the pieces of the puzzle for a collection, building it from symbols and signs, but never forgetting the reality of the person who will wear it and bring it to life,” Williams said, in a statement. “The women and men should be powerful and effortless, equal and joyful, a reflection of who they really are – only more so. It’s about finding the humanity in luxury.”

The designer paid homage to some of the brand’s past creative leads — Hubert de Givenchy and Alexander McQueen, specifically — by bringing back certain design signatures, such as looped drapery and “Jour” open backs (Givenchy) and horn detailing (McQueen), per the release. Williams’s touch becomes apparent in the emphasis on more casual, everyday pieces made with inventive materials and finishes, such as foam slides, coated denim and embellished hoodies. The accessories are likely to be a winner on the commercial front, the sculptural totes and oversized Antigonas, in particular. (The three-toed sandals, however, are already being memed on Twitter.)

Williams’s vision for Givenchy is one that could be easily pictured on Bella Hadid, snapped by paparazzi in New York City. (Talking to you, Looks 16 and 22.) See all the looks from Givenchy’s Spring 2021 collection, photographed by Heji Shin, in the gallery, below.