Playboi Carti Narrates Givenchy's New Beginnings In A Teaser Campaign
Nearly four months ago, 1017 ALYX 9SM founder Matthew Williams was named the new creative director of Givenchy, following in the footsteps of Clare Waight Keller. And while the world has to wait a few more days to see the Maison's next chapter in full at Williams' debut Spring/Summer 2021 show on October 4, we've now been granted a sneak peek at what's to come in the designer's first-ever visual for Givenchy.
Breaking a long silence on social media, over the weekend Givenchy unveiled a new teaser campaign on Instagram, created in collaboration with photographer Nick Knight and rapper Playboi Carti (both close friends of Williams).
Shot from a bird's-eye view of a copy machine, the brief video clip shows us literal prints of new Givenchy hardware — in the form of gold chains and padlocks — fused with the Maison's 4G logo, which will no doubt make an appearance in Williams' upcoming collection (the designer is widely known for his hardware creations, like those ALYX rollercoaster buckles). In sync with the whirring of the printer, rapper Playboi Carti can be heard riffing with different pronunciations of Givenchy's name — correctly and incorrectly.
"It was just so fun to hear him say the brand's name over and over and over, in right and wrong ways," Williams explained. "That made it extra relevant to me. I wanted the message to be: It doesn't matter how you say it. Any way is right, as long as it's your way!"
While Clare Waight Keller brought elegant minimalism to Givenchy, the images of Williams' new work hints at the birth of a more youthful and modern aesthetic, in line with the designer's streetwear roots.
