Alex Consani and Devyn Garcia walked into the marble vestibule of the Hôtel Caraman, Givenchy headquarters, for the French house’s dinner celebrating Sarah Burton’s debut at the brand. Less than 12 hours earlier, both models had taken to the intimate runway set in the very same space.
On the first floor, friends and fans of the house—and, most importantly, of Burton—mingled happily, spilling onto the balcony overlooking Avenue George V. Many of the same guests who had perched on stacks of archive files fashioned into front-row stools that morning were back for the evening, now in fresh Givenchy looks. Among them: Rooney Mara, Vanessa Kirby, Sophie Okonedo, Raye, Diane Kruger, and Kit Connor. Mara, a longtime devotee of both McQueen and Givenchy, stayed close to Burton during cocktails, her raw-edged cream bustier a study in elegant deconstruction. Raye, meanwhile, had swapped her Dolce Vita bob from earlier in the day for a high ponytail so sleek it could have rivaled the grooming of a dressage horse.
Upstairs, two candlelit rooms were set with four tables, each dressed with porcelain vases brimming with sweet peas and ranunculus. Ethan James Green and Dara Allen caught up with Consani, while young It-Brits Kit Connor and Saura Lightfoot-Leon were dinner partners at the neighboring table. As guests cracked open a trompe l’oeil pumpkin filled with turmeric butternut squash cubes, Yseult—the French singer who had also attended the show—wistfully recalled her own moments on a McQueen runway. Under Burton, she had walked two shows and spoke of how moving it was to now reunite with that team at Givenchy.
For dessert, a mint chocolate mousse arrived so architecturally composed it looked as if it had been lifted straight from the Musée du Quai Branly.
Asked how she unwinds after a show, Burton confessed to Vogue, somewhat fretfully, that she spends the hours afterward reviewing every last photo, thanking her team, and ensuring everything is in order before being the last to leave the space. Sensing my disappointment, she apologized, “I’m sorry—I’ve been too honest.” Had she had a drink yet? No, but a gin and tonic was next on her agenda.
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