Which British designer became Givenchy's creative director in 1996?

Alexander McQueen became Givenchy’s creative director in 1996.

McQueen was appointed head designer of the Parisian couture house after John Galliano left Givenchy for Dior. The appointment placed a famously rebellious London designer inside one of France’s most tradition-bound luxury institutions, founded by Hubert de Givenchy in 1952.

His Givenchy debut was the spring/summer 1997 collection, inspired partly by Greek mythology and presented in gold and white. Critics compared it unfavourably with Galliano’s celebrated Dior debut, and McQueen himself later called the collection “crap.” That self-criticism reflected his complicated relationship with commercial fashion rather than a lack of ambition.

A common mix-up is confusing McQueen’s Givenchy role with his later work at his own label. Gucci bought 51% of Alexander McQueen’s company in 2000, while McQueen remained its creative director. He left Givenchy in 2001 after his contract ended, saying the house had begun to restrict his creativity.