I recently covered the departure of Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, making way for their new director Sean Mcgrirr, which you can read here. At the time, it never crossed my mind that Sarah might go somewhere else, her DNA is so intertwined with the McQueen label that imagining her anywhere else was almost impossible.

Sarah’s career started at the McQueen house back in 1997, after interning there during her degree. She was swiftly appointed head of womenswear in 2000 and aided Lee over the next ten years, helping design some of the most iconic McQueen pieces to walk the runway. In her own words, she once said ‘he was an inspiration every day, everything I know, I learnt from him’. Not a bad way to start your career in fashion.

It was only natural that after Lee’s passing, Sarah was appointed creative director of the brand and over the next 13 years, shaped the McQueen label into what we know today. She consistently put out looks that were reminiscent of Lee’s work but perhaps softer and more wearable. During her time at the house, she was known for creating the wedding dress for Kate Middleton. After it was announced that she would leave the house, replaced by Sean Mcgrirr, all went quiet. Until last week, when it was revealed she’d walk in the same steps as Lee himself, and become the director of Givenchy.

Alexander McQueen Spring 2020 Ready to Wear - Vogue Runway

The famously demure French couture house has seen many directors over the years with the likes of not only McQueen himself but also John Galliano, Riccardo Tisci (one of my favourite Givenchy eras) and famously Clare Waight Keller who designed the wedding dress for Megan Markle. Lee’s time at the house spanned from 1996 to 2001 and was an appointment that was shrouded in criticism and often branded a ‘disaster’. McQueen often felt his creativity was heavily restrained there and they soon realised that his immense skill might not be suited to such a traditional couture house. Through all of this though, Lee had some wonderful moments at Givenchy and said although his time there was difficult, he learnt so much about refining his craft.

After many years, the house of Givenchy has always been elegant, refined and highly praised. It’s seen many designers try to reimagine the house's motifs while redefining the house in their own way. I’m so intrigued to see what Sarah does here. We only know her in the world of McQueen, I honestly couldn’t tell you anything she does off her own back as a designer. It’s a fresh canvas for her to play with and while she’ll have to be mindful of the house traditions, I truly feel she’ll be offered the creative freedom to take on a new era here, not only for Givenchy but also for herself. It’s a true guessing game of what she’ll be capable of and what she’ll design, I’ll be on the edge of my seat for that first show!