Givenchy celebrates an “imperfect beauty”, inspired by Portuguese visual artist Helena Almeida

With raw cuts and deceptively neglected fabric collages, Givenchy celebrated on Sunday March 1 a “imperfect beauty” in a women’s ready-to-wear parade in Paris. The fall-winter 2020-2021 collection is inspired by the heroine “elusive” from arthouse cinema and Portuguese visual artist Helena Almeida who portrayed her own body in her performances.

Scarves are tied on the back or wrap around bags, coats closed with a pin brooch worn with flesh-colored sandals as if the models were walking barefoot.

“She is a very imperfect beauty”, declares backstage to AFP Clare Waight Keller, British artistic director of the French luxury brand. “My body is my job”, said Helena Almeida. It is the sensuality exuded by the body language of powerful women that fascinates the British stylist who explores “hardness and softness” in this collection presented at the Longchamp racecourse in Paris in a pavilion shrouded in red smoke.

Star model Kaia Gerber wears a red dress revealing a bare leg with an integrated cape, an ensemble that unites clean and supple lines. If not covered by huge hats with soft, asymmetrical edges, the hair is slicked back and erased, makeup natural.

Red is mixed with black, green with purple, white and black come in striped or checked prints or embroidery. High gloves are worn over tailored jackets, coats or mesh dresses. Long dresses are patchworks of prints, pleats, drapes with the waist underlined by a wide asymmetrical leather belt.

After making a collection of faux fur coats, then giving up this material judging that it was not very ecological, Clare Waight Keller is coming back to it again in this collection. These new coats are made of pieces of different colors and textures.

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