Sarah Burton’s Givenchy Draws a Star Pack—Kaia Gerber, Vittoria Ceretti, Charlize Theron—to a Post-Show Nightcap
Following Sarah Burton’s spring outing for Givenchy, celebrity friends spotted on the runway and in the front row—Kaia Gerber, Cynthia Erivo, Eddie and Hannah Redmayne, Jenna Ortega, Charlize Theron, Inez Vinoodh, Jodie Comer, and Raye among them—turned out right on time for an intimate cocktail and dinner hosted by the House at Marius et Janette, the haute seafood spot just across from Givenchy’s historic HQ on Avenue George V.
Erivo, dressed head to toe in Givenchy, was effusive about the show—from the Elvis remix to the diverse casting to the clothes themselves. “What I loved about the show was how she took beautiful fabrics and turned them into everyday clothes,” she said, singling out the embroidered mint-green robe coat that closed the collection. “It was just beyond. It wasn’t too precious, but knowing Sarah, her craftsmanship is always second to none.” Their friendship, she added, has deepened since she wore a Burton design to the Met Gala. “I am my own shopper—I buy my own pieces—and I was already a fan, but from the very first fitting she was right there, on her knees taking measurements, and I was so moved. Her generosity is incredible; she really cares.” In her first book, due out in November, Erivo shares more of her fashion philosophy: “It’s not a how-to; it’s a ‘what I did.’ Find the pieces that tell the story you want to tell. And wear the pieces that make you feel the best, for yourself. What you’ll find is that everyone else will love it too.”
By the time Burton made it past the throngs of well-wishers and into the dining room, she was already thinking ahead. “This is a very exciting time, because I feel like this season is a real celebration of creativity, with brilliant new designers doing amazing things in Paris,” she said. “For me, I love the women we work with, and I love the idea of dressing many, many women. It’s about being there to see how they feel in the clothes—the emotion in the room. They want to feel incredible, and it’s my job to make them feel that way.”
“I was 1,000% mentally shopping,” Raye laughed. “For me, it was the sculpted dress with the bow on one arm—I thought, that’s me on stage! Yes, please! But most of all I was just so proud of Sarah. I’ve always loved fashion and expressing myself through clothes, but I’m a musician first, and I was a little intimidated by the fashion world. Then I met Sarah and all that vanished. She’s an absolute genius, but she’s also just an absolute human. I love what she’s doing.” The 27-year-old added that Paris even inspired a few songs on her next album, due next year. “I wrote them on the Eurostar. Traveling sparks insane creativity. Someday I’d love to have an apartment here—the Parisian dream lives in me.”
“I’ve worked with Lee, with Sarah, and with Thom Browne, and to me there’s only a handful of people who know how to really create in this world,” offered Trino Verkade, CEO of the Sarabande Foundation—the charitable organization established by the late Alexander McQueen. “We have to really value those people who know how to put together the world of fashion. Sarah is one of those people. Her superpower isn’t only that she’s an incredible designer—she’s a true understander of what it’s like to be a woman.”
Photo: Remi Pujol1/19Cynthia Erivo
Photo: Remi Pujol2/19Tabitha Simmons, Lucia Pieroni