Givenchy Catwalk. The Complete Collections 266493

Founded by the dashing Hubert de Givenchy in 1952, the house would go on to symbolize the height of effortless elegance, as embodied by Givenchy’s muse (and close friend) Audrey Hepburn. After its founder’s retirement in 1995, John Galliano first took the reins of the house, before being succeeded by a young Alexander McQueen, who created his first (and only) haute couture collections for Givenchy. More recently, Italian designer Riccardo Tisci took the brand into a resolutely contemporary direction following his appointment in 2005 (dressing icons such as Beyonce), followed by Clare Waight Keller and American designer Matthew M. Williams.

This definitive publication – the only monograph in print on the house of Givenchy – opens with a concise history of the fashion house before exploring the collections themselves, which are organized chronologically. Each new era in Givenchy’s history opens with a brief overview and biography of the new designer, while individual collections are introduced by a short text unveiling their influences and highlights, illustrated with carefully curated catwalk images. A rich reference section, including an extensive index, concludes the book.

After Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, Vivienne Westwood, Versace and Chloe, Givenchy is the ninth in a series of high-end, clothbound books that offer an unrivalled overview of the collections of the world’s top fashion houses through original catwalk photography.

Alexandre Samson is a fashion historian and curator at Palais Galliera. He has curated exhibitions such as 'Margiela Galliera 1989-2009', as well as 'Back Side, Fashion from Behind' in Brussels and then the Musee Bourdelle. Anders Christian Madsen is the fashion critic at British Vogue.