“The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress.”
Hubert de Givenchy became a revolutionary designer for the ways in which he celebrated the female form without commoditizing it. When he died in March 2018, the fashion world stood still for a moment.
Givenchy’s legacy will last far beyond his own life, and his influence will continue to shape luxury fashion’s ideals surrounding craftsmanship, elegance, and beauty. And speaking of beauty, his eponymous brand’s cosmetics line is almost as coveted as its fashion, further promoting its freedom in pursuit of creativity and sophistication.
“We have to make our luxury distinctive,” says David Titheridge, general manager of LVMH Fragrance Brands Canada, addressing a small group at the new 239-square-foot Givenchy Beauty counter at Holt Renfrew Vancouver. That means, for example, moisturizing lipsticks come in handcrafted Italian leather cases, making them showpieces in their own right. “We’re mad about couture,” Titheridge says. “These allow people to touch a piece of couture when they apply the makeup.” From Prisme Libre, a four-in-one translucent face powder, to Le Rouge Perfecto lipstick balm, each product feels opulent and special.
Givenchy Beauty was only available in Canada through Sephora before this Holt Renfrew partnership (the luxury department stores are now the only places in the country to carry the opulent L’Atelier Fragrance Collection); this Vancouver counter is the debut location.
Titheridge had the pleasure of twice meeting Givenchy himself, and gushes about his poise and his storied career. “He was the leading edge in where he placed women in society,” says Titheridge, who calls the designer a feminist who really “cared about women.” Indeed, it’s less that Givenchy wanted to make women beautiful and more that he wanted to coax out the beauty already within.
Discover your Beauty.
