With the Spring/Summer 2026 collection, Sarah Burton opens a new chapter for the house of Givenchy, titled “Powerful Femininity” A clear and eloquent title that precisely defines the designer’s intentions at the helm of the Maison. Here, power is not handed to women through strict office wear with broad shoulders; instead, her vision of strength lies elsewhere: in delicacy, in skin revealed without the need for external validation, and in a kind of lightness that feels an urgent need to be seen. Sarah Burton begins by dismantling the sartorial cages of the past—her task is to strip away the stiffness of classic tailoring to let a new body emerge: alive, sensitive, and self-aware. What follows is a succession of fluid silhouettes that break free from imposed definitions.
Bodices are wrapped in jackets worn directly on the skin, shirt collars open up and become necklines, and bodysuits take center stage, asserting themselves as standalone pieces. Sometimes, certain symbols need to be stripped of all the layers of meaning projected onto them over time, in order to rediscover what truly lies beneath. In taking on this challenging process, Burton navigates the codes of the feminine imagination—from the guêpière to the pearl, from the polished trench to sheer tulle—examining them closely, with care. Each garment is reinterpreted through a subverted lens, liberating the icons of traditional womenswear from their symbolic weight. Skirts open in generous slits, even denim reveals skin in a way that feels effortless, never obvious. Nudity is present throughout the collection—not as a message of sensuality or provocation, but as something deeper and more honest.
“When we want to empower women we often reach for masculine codes, but I wanted to look at female emotional intelligence, and dressing and undressing.”
There’s a sense of refinement in the fabrics and details: a trench slipping off the shoulders, embroidered in softly shaded silk; a white dress that clings simply to the body, yet speaks volumes through its rich artisanal craftsmanship. Still, what truly strikes the audience watching the show is the undeniable coherence of every element. Each piece highlights the female silhouette without needing to shock or shout: this is a femininity that doesn’t ask for permission to exist, and doesn’t need to be looked at to have value. On the runway, proud, sensual, ironic women take turns—unapologetic and self-assured. This is the powerful femininity Burton sets out to explore.
The designer undertakes a deep deconstruction of the long-ingrained preconceptions surrounding female nudity and what is systematically perceived as “sensual” for a woman. She does so with the awareness that this is only one step within a much broader process: giving strength back to women through clothing that doesn’t need to borrow from the masculine wardrobe to be powerful. Women can be strong and confident—perhaps even more so—when wearing garments that are feminine, soft, and designed to highlight their silhouette without hiding it behind a suit of armor or a tailored look meant to conceal it. In today’s cultural moment, this is an urgent act of meaning, even before it is a matter of style or aesthetics. Burton herself states it clearly: empowerment isn’t a destination, it’s the process. A process that finds its roots in the legacy of the house founded by Hubert de Givenchy, who always designed to uplift women—not to decorate them.
