Givenchy by Julien Macdonald: Tick Tock! Tick Tock!
By Timothy Hagy
(Photos courtesy of Steve Wood)
PARIS, Mar 11, 2003/ FW/ --- A line of editors sat first row at Givenchy counting stitches
as British Artistic Director, Julien Macdonald turned out yet another disappointing collection
for the Parisian House.
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
Though more convincing a show than last season, the latest attempt still failed to attract
many admirers.
During the last round of couture shows, under rising speculation that Macdonald would not be
long for his job, he tried to hide behind the skirts of Audrey Hepburn in introducing a
contrived elegance to his work for Givenchy.
It was a half-hearted attempt then, and remained one with the Ready-To-Wear line shown
Sunday afternoon.
The problem is that Julien seems capable of only theorizing about the idea without
possessing the savoir faire to polish it off.
Case in point, zippers running across the back of otherwise sensuous cocktail dresses left
a gaudy aftertaste in the Fall / Winter 2003-04 collection.
From fur to tweed, and back again, there wasn't much commendable to add to the tumbrel,
and for all the past refinement the name conjures up, there seems precious little remaining
at Givenchy.
To be fair, a lot of the fashion photographers who have seen all the big shows in Paris say that
the Givenchy show is the best in Paris the season second only to Alexander McQueen.
Two oppossing opinions from both sides of the fashion press.
Tick Tock...Tick Tock goes the clock, and how much longer, nobody knows?
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