Back in March Givenchy announced that following the departure of Riccardo Tisci, former Chloé designer Clare Waight Keller would step into the role of artistic director. Today we get a glimpse of what her vision for the brand will be and it involves plenty of mysterious-looking cats. Waight Keller, while exploring the brand’s archives, discovered that she and founder Hubert de Givenchy both shared a fondness for the animal with the latter devoting a collection of silk prints back in 1953 to a photorealistic feline with orange eyes.
Using that as a staring point, Waight Keller described her new Givenchy woman: “I love the idea of a woman with a feline air, a person may seem slightly reserved, but they have that serene, straightforward gaze. They’re seductive. You want to meet them, know more about them, and be like them.” The black-and-white teaser images, shot by Steven Meisel, feature models Saffron Vadher, Meghan Roche, Elias Bouremah, and Kolton Bowen all clutching a pet feline. Saffron and Meghan are in lace T-shirts while Elias and Kolton are wearing only tuxedo trousers or jewelry — not exactly your standard cat-lady clothes. And, because it’s a fashion campaign, the cats are also wearing custom Givenchy collars which will be available for purchase in the future. Consider this teaser just a sampling of what Waight Keller will debut this October, when she shows both men’s and women’s during Paris Fashion Week.