PARIS, Jul 5, 2006/ FW/ --- Yesterday, at the Pompidou Center, Ozwald Boateng’s message for Givenchy menswear is concise and clear – the Givenchy gent is the new epitome of cool with his razor sharp tailored clothes and dynamic code of dressing.

As the British designer enters his third year as Creative Director of Givenchy Homme, the infusion of his vibrant energy to the once-tired label cannot be denied. It was already apparent in Boateng’s first-ever collection for the house.

Yet, with Spring 2007, he raised the bar once more, making the Givenchy gent as high profile and well dressed as his brethrens.

Suits were cut with straight shoulders while the collars were emphasized with flat piping either in black or white. The silhouette is slim, yet relaxed; the ties were thin and tied with a single knot.

And for those who are interested, Ozwald Boateng opted for the traditional 4-buttons on the suit sleeves; and conservatism ended there. Twin set cardigans in black and white, sporty bomber jackets are lightly blouson at the gathered hem, striped shirts worn under plaid suits and U-shaped vests worn over jacquard tuxedo shirts adorned with bow ties.

The Givenchy logo was added as element, but was not used as a focal point. Used as a crest on a golf tee, a tag on the side of the tank top, while the house’s signature polka dot were used in V-neck pullovers, the polka dots so tiny that they looked like more they were ‘punched’ than dots.

Ozwald Boateng is a menswear designer and Savile Row tailor through and through. Hubert di Givenchy is a couturier. They are different yet share a common trait – a vision of fashion that is a cut above the rest.

And though Boateng is not designing the womenswear part of the House, the British designer makes it very easy even to the casual observer that Boateng is fast becoming Hubert di Givenchy’s heir apparent to the eponymous house he built almost 50 years ago

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Givenchy

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