Questions about the house Hubert de Givenchy founded in 1952, from Audrey Hepburn to Sarah Burton, answered from Ayerhs’s Givenchy couture and ready-to-wear reviews.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 31 October 2026
On this page: The house and its founder · The designers · Codes and business · The Ayerhs view
The house and its founder
Who founded Givenchy, and when?
Hubert de Givenchy, a French aristocrat who trained with Jacques Fath, Lucien Lelong and Elsa Schiaparelli, opened his couture house in Paris in 1952, aged 24. His first collection made a hit of the Bettina blouse, named after the model Bettina Graziani. He retired in 1995 and died in 2018.
Read on Ayerhs: Hubert de Givenchy – The complete guide · A–Z of Hubert de Givenchy
What was Givenchy’s relationship with Audrey Hepburn?
One of the most famous partnerships in fashion. Hepburn met Givenchy in 1953 while preparing for the film Sabrina and wore his clothes on and off screen for the rest of her life, including the black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). His perfume L’Interdit was created for her.
Read on Ayerhs: The Little Black Dress · The Origins and Evolution of Red Carpet Fashion
The designers
Who has designed Givenchy since Hubert de Givenchy?
| Designer | Years | Defining idea |
|---|---|---|
| John Galliano | 1995–1996 | Theatrical couture |
| Alexander McQueen | 1996–2001 | Dark, technical tailoring |
| Julien Macdonald | 2001–2004 | Glamour and knitwear |
| Riccardo Tisci | 2005–2017 | Gothic romance and streetwear |
| Clare Waight Keller | 2017–2020 | Refined, couture elegance |
| Matthew M. Williams | 2020–2023 | Hardware and street luxury |
| Sarah Burton | 2024– | Sensual authority, the female gaze |
Read on Ayerhs: Couture Spring 1996 · Alexander McQueen in The Library
What did Riccardo Tisci and Clare Waight Keller do at Givenchy?
Tisci spent 12 years making Givenchy dark, sensual and culturally connected, mixing gothic couture with streetwear long before it was common. Waight Keller returned the house to refined elegance; she designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress in 2018, and her couture shows were love letters to the house’s founder.
Read on Ayerhs: Couture Fall 2011 · Couture Spring 2016 · Couture Spring 2019 · Couture Spring 2020 · Givenchy by Clare Waight Keller
What has Sarah Burton done at Givenchy?
Burton, who led Alexander McQueen for 13 years, was appointed in 2024 and showed her first Givenchy collection, Fall 2025, in March 2025. Her Givenchy is built on precise tailoring seen through a female gaze: sensual, authoritative and, by Fall 2026, unexpectedly funky.
Read on Ayerhs: Fall 2025 · Spring 2026 · Fall 2026
Codes and business
Who owns Givenchy?
LVMH, which bought the house in 1988. That is why LVMH could move designers such as Galliano and McQueen between its houses in the 1990s.
Read on Ayerhs: The Rise of Fashion Conglomerates
The Ayerhs view
Is Sarah Burton right for Givenchy?
Yes. After a run of short tenures, Burton has given Givenchy a clear voice: sensual authority within a female gaze. Each season has been more confident than the last, and Fall 2026 showed she can be playful too.