Sarah Burton is only two shows into her Givenchy era — and already, it’s giving main character energy. Where others might still be easing their way into legacy-house politics, Burton has confidently kicked down the doors and set up her own table. And she’s serving intimacy, eroticism, and quiet rebellion — all stitched into couture precision.

Gone are the days of “power” being defined by shoulder pads and sharp suiting. For Spring/Summer 2026, Burton redefines it through skin, softness, and the sensual ritual of dressing — and undressing. Inspired by René Groebli’s honeymoon portraits of his wife Rita (1954), the collection reads like a cinematic diary: a woman caught in private moments, not performing for the world but reclaiming it.

Think sculpted bras (actual bras, not the “maybe it’s a top” kind) paired with wrap skirts that move like whispers. Jackets stripped of their inner canvases — structure undone, confidence intact. There’s a poetry to it: powerful women who don’t need armour to feel strong.

Burton threads her narrative with tactile contrasts — tailored lines meeting ballerina flats, sheer dresses made innocent again with spaghetti straps and schoolgirl hems. It’s sensuality without spectacle, femininity without apology.

Gorunway.com

And because every great vision needs the right cast, Burton brought in the faces of the moment: Alex Consani, Mona Tougaard, Kaia Gerber, Vittoria Ceretti, Mariacarla Boscono, plus OG icons Naomi Campbell, Liu Wen, and Eva Herzigová. The front row was equally cinematic — Jenna Ortega in crimson sheer, Cynthia Erivo in a backwards blazer, Charlize Theron, Raye, and Gwendoline Christie holding court like the Givenchy muses they are.

It’s not just that Burton designs clothes for women — it’s that she designs with them in mind. In a sea of male creative directors still defining the female form from a distance, she brings empathy to the runway. Less dominance, more dialogue. Less gaze, more gaze back.