Plus Gucci is champing at the bit
Words by REBECCA RUSSELL and ELIZABETH VARNELL
Sarah Burton Conjures Givenchy’s New Look
English fashion designer Sarah Burton, whose lauded 26-year tenure at Alexander McQueen preceded her new role as creative director at the helm of GIVENCHY, has brought the French house back to the drawing boards. For her first collection, Fall/Winter 25, the Manchester-born designer who studied at Central Saint Martins focused on craftsmanship, cut, and stripped-back shapes. Her work was inspired by a cache of calico patterns from Hubert de Givenchy’s 1952 debut collection that were recently discovered in a hidden cupboard during a renovation of his first maison. Burton wove the imagery of brown paper packets containing precisely measured designs and Stockman dressmaker forms into her looks, linking her new tenure with the house’s beginning. The results are tailored and definitively Burton’s. Shoulders are strong but also elegantly curved, there are hourglass waists, and jackets are frequently reversed. Coats have cocoon backs and bracelet-length sleeves. There are airy Chantilly lace micro-length dresses to pair with ballet flats. Knotted leather scarves reference the founder’s bows, and a white shirt, another house signature, is reworked into an asymmetrical dress. 332 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 213-277-2991; 3333 Bristol St., South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, 714-545-2189; givenchy.com. E.V.
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Balenciaga and Puma Generate Hybrid Hype
As part of BALENCIAGA’s Winter 25 collection — the penultimate offering by Demna — the luxury fashion house has unveiled an eagerly awaited partnership with PUMA. The thoughtfully crafted assortment of footwear and ready-to-wear is a harmonious blend of cutting-edge aesthetic and athletic, fashion-forward designs. Originally released in 1999, the iconic Puma Speedcat flat-sole sneaker makes a reinterpreted comeback with signature Balenciaga elements like destroyed detailing and a socklike formation. Also on offer are fitted and oversize hoodies, T-shirts, and shorts adorned with co-branded graphics, plus archival sportswear, including technical terry sweatsuits, and an eye-deceiving suede bathrobe. 338 N. Rodeo Dr., 310-854-0557; balenciaga.com. R.R.
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Gucci Continues Horsing Around
Inspired by the elegant equestrian world, horse enthusiasts, and a heritage emblem, GUCCI is adding new fine jewelry designs to its Horsebit collection. The motif first appeared in the late 1940s as a sketch in a house artisan’s notebook. Soon afterward, loafers and accessories adorned with the riding symbol emerged, followed by bracelets and watches in the 1970s. Now the house is adding white gold necklaces with pendants in diamond demi pavé, cuff bracelets with a single version of the symbol, and a double chain bracelet complete with a charm. Modern hoops and an ear cuff are also included. Yellow gold chokers have Horsebit elements, plus a bracelet, ring, and earrings riff on a similar chain effect. Stylish fans will be champing at the bit. gucci.com. E.V.
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Fendi Fêtes a Century in Style
Silvia Venturini FENDI tapped personal memories to create ready-to-wear collections on the centenary of the house founded by her grandparents, Edoardo Fendi and Adele Casagrande Fendi, in 1925. Using both real and imagined recollections rather than relying on the company’s physical archives, the creative director weaves together sartorial traditions and patchwork techniques to create shearling coats that resemble fox, mink, or sable and balza skirts and corolla jackets to form hourglass silhouettes. For men, there are wool or leather caban coats, wool gabardine shirts, and micro polka-dot silk ties. Collection hues evoke Roman sunsets with terra-cotta, scarlet, dusty rose, and even buttermilk yellow as well as the green, blue, chocolate, and graphite look of dusk in the city.
The Roman house marks a milestone by spotlighting its creative lineage.
Silvia’s mother, Anna, is one of the five Fendi sisters who helped shape the family-run Roman stole and handbag workshop into a fashion house and famously hired Karl Lagerfeld as creative director in 1965. He introduced ready-to-wear in 1977, and designed the women’s collections for more than five decades until his death in 2019. Silvia is the mind behind the beloved rectangular Baguette bag, first launched in 1997. Both she and Lagerfeld have evolved house codes over the years, and Silvia continues to push the boundaries of innovative workmanship. New standouts, including the Spy bag, are reinterpreted in sorbet shades of leather. Baguettes decorated with mirrored embroideries join men’s Lui zipped duffels — all adorned with upcycled fabric charms. Jewelry designed by Silvia’s daughter Delfina Delettrez Fendi — one of the house’s fourth-generation creatives — includes snake chain collars and bracelets with fur-like textures. fendi.com. E.V.
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Genny Cruises Through Beverly Hills’ Casa Lago Villa
GENNY creative director Sara Cavazza Facchini credited L.A. as the inspiration for her Cruise 2026 collection, shown on the lush lakeside lawns of the Casa Lago villa in Beverly Hills. Structured cocktail dresses, dreamy flowing pants, and shorts with fluid silhouettes in a lime-toned interpretation of the Italian house’s distinctive orchid print join evening gowns in white, black, or delicate pastel shades. Jeweled jeans and rhinestone tassels add an eye-catching vintage aesthetic to the bevy of looks. Daywear designs are equally suited for lunch in the city or a beachside evening with the rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean nearby. The made-in-Italy silhouettes of silk, light muslin, and structured drill are all newly interpreted through a decidedly Californian lens. 9536 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills, 310-734-7115; genny.com. E.V.
Feature image: The Fall/Winter 19 show in Shanghai.
Portions of this story originally appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of C Magazine.
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