“She has an extraordinary flair for looking dressed with practically nothing. She knows how to look in a mirror, pose, and make whatever she is wearing chic. And since simplicity is the only thing she likes, she is always faultlessly elegant.”

— Hubert de Givenchy on the Givenchy Woman

The House of Givenchy proudly unveils a first teaser campaign by newly-appointed artistic director Clare Waight Keller. An aura of mystery permeates striking black and white imagery by photographer Steven Meisel.

This campaign was shot in a private manor house in New York City and stars a curated selection of new faces that embody Waight Keller’s vision for the brand.

“I love the simplicity of these portraits and the engaging directness of the subjects’ gaze,” notes the designer. “It evokes the bold, powerful and very graphic quality Hubert de Givenchy gave to everything he designed.”

In exploring the archives, Waight Keller realized she shared with the house’s founder a love of animals, and her research produced one extraordinary discovery: a collection of silk prints from 1953 featuring a photo-realistic feline with orange eyes.

With this reveal, Clare Waight Keller offers a personal take on the codes she shares with Hubert de Givenchy: her women are strong, elegant and very much of their time.

“I love the idea of a woman with a feline air,” the designer observes. “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. I wanted to play with that modern attitude and expression because I feel like it’s an apt metaphor for Givenchy’s current evolution.”

In this prelude to Waight Keller’s official debut as artistic director of Givenchy, the models Saffron Vadher & Meghan Roche wear lace t-shirts and hold their cats; Elias Bouremah & Kolton Bowen lounge with their felines, wearing tuxedo pants and gold jewelry, all pieces that point to the designer’s direction for her first Givenchy runway presentation. The felines custom Givenchy collars will also be available for purchase.

With Transformation Seduction, Clare Waight Keller hints at the creative symbiosis she envisions for Givenchy women’s and men’s collections.

“To me, Givenchy is a world where women and men alike are strong, stoic and mysterious. They own their power, and share it equally.”

The campaign will break online, outdoors and in the September issues of selected international print media in the month leading up to Clare Waight Keller’s first Givenchy presentation.

Her debut collection for Givenchy will feature fashions for women and men. It will be shown during Spring Summer 18 Paris Fashion Week, on October 1^st, 2017.