“A new elegance. A contemporary study of glamour. A re-contextualization of archetypes.”

In defining its Fall/Winter 2023 collection, these are the phrases Givenchy hovered around. Artistic Director Matthew Williams drew inspiration from the long-established principles of dressing culture, working them through the lens of “the arts-driven community of women that surrounds him today.” Thus, the clothing itself was about balance: classic silhouettes, slightly magnified; workwear rendered more formal; archival prints re-evoked upon modern material.

Make-up artist Lucia Pieroni was tasked with reflecting that harmony, between old-school and present-day glamor, in the presentation’s beauty component. “The inspiration was French cool,” she says of the show—“sexy, smudgy, slept-in eyeliner.” In other words, a coming-together of traditional elements, applied irreverently to invoke something new.

Here, Pieroni shares a backstage look at her process, leading up to Givenchy’s forward-looking presentation.