Big names make noise. Givenchy chose silence. During Paris Fashion Week, the house did not stage a runway show, a deliberate reset after the exit of Matthew M. Williams in December 2023, confirmed by the brand at the time. Buyers and editors still saw product, only in a tighter, private format that put fabric, cut, and construction under the spotlight.
Timing matters. The womenswear Fall Winter 2024 season ran from 26 February to 5 March 2024 in Paris, then Spring Summer 2025 from 23 September to 1 October 2024, according to the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Givenchy did not appear on the official runway calendar for those sessions and opted for showroom presentations aimed at retail and press.
Paris Fashion Week Givenchy now: a strategic pause, not a stop
The idea is simple. Reset the conversation around a storied name founded by Hubert de Givenchy and reduce distractions while the creative office evolves. Under Chief Executive Officer Renaud de Lesquen, the brand has focused on product clarity and commercial continuity, rather than a set piece show that demands a fully defined vision.
This phase follows a clear milestone. Matthew M. Williams departed at the end of 2023. In early 2024 industry reports detailed that the in-house studio would steer collections while leadership assessed the next chapter. A runway can wait. Wholesale partners and key editors still receive the message through controlled previews in Paris.
For shoppers, the visible shift is pacing. Fewer headline moments in the short term, more emphasis on wardrobe pieces that hold their ground season after season. Retailers often prefer that when a label is between creative directors, because delivery cadence and margin stay predictable.
Dates and data that anchor the story
Context brings clarity. The FHCM listed Paris womenswear Fall Winter 2024 from 26 February to 5 March 2024 and Spring Summer 2025 from 23 September to 1 October 2024. Givenchy was not scheduled on the official runway for those dates and pursued a showroom route in Paris for editors and buyers.
The corporate backdrop also counts. Parent group LVMH reported revenue of 86.2 billion euros in 2023, with Fashion and Leather Goods as its largest division, according to the company’s annual results published 25 January 2024. Brand level figures are not broken out publicly, which frames expectations around patience rather than spectacle during a transition.
Industry sources tracked the shift. Women’s Wear Daily reported in January 2024 that Givenchy would not stage a Fall 2024 runway in Paris, highlighting the ongoing reset after the designer change. Business of Fashion later noted the continued low profile into 2024 as the house maintained showroom presentations while evaluating leadership.
These are not quirks. They are standard moves when a marquee label recalibrates between creative eras in Paris, where calendar visibility is high and every slot comes with pressure to deliver a definitive statement.
What to watch next for Givenchy at Paris Fashion Week
The near term signal is presentation format. If the house keeps inviting press and buyers to private viewings in Paris, expect product storytelling to lean on materials, tailoring, and accessories rather than runway theatrics. That keeps wholesale conversations steady while giving space for a future vision to form.
Another signal is timing around leadership announcements. In similar cases across the Paris calendar, creative appointments have landed several months before a first show, allowing a debut the following womenswear season. A runway return would likely align with that kind of cadence, not a surprise drop.
There is also the heritage layer. Givenchy’s archive of refined volumes, sculpted couture lines, and evening clarity remains a strong base for a studio-led phase. That heritage can carry showroom seasons, then sharpen into a public debut when a new designer is named. Retailers understand that rhythm. Shoppers do too, even if not consciously.
For those tracking the next step, two practical checks help. Watch the FHCM calendar updates for each season’s provisional and final lists. Watch LVMH communications for formal leadership news. Everything else is noise, definitly.
Sources and documents consulted for dates and figures include the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode calendars for Paris womenswear sessions, LVMH’s 2023 annual results published 25 January 2024, Women’s Wear Daily coverage on 24 January 2024 regarding the Fall 2024 show decision, and Business of Fashion reporting throughout 2024 on the brand’s interim strategy.
Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode calendars | LVMH 2023 annual results | Women’s Wear Daily | Business of Fashion