Sawt Falasteen - Designer Matthew Williams leaves Givenchy

Givenchy did not name an immediate successor, saying the coming collections would be handled by its in-house team.

Nor was any reason given for the parting of ways, which is effective from January 1.

Givenchy CEO Renaud de Lesquen said Williams's "collections, resolutely creative and contemporary, have sparked a new dynamic and found their audience".

Williams described his time as creative director as "the dream of a lifetime" in the statement.

Having worked with the likes of Kanye West and Lady Gaga, the heavily-tattooed US designer brought an element of street cred to the fabled French brand.

But its parent group, LVMH, has been tight-lipped about Givenchy's sales performance under Williams.

It noted the success of his "U-Lock" jacket and "Voyou" bag this year, but analysts say it failed to match the growth of other brands in the group such as Louis Vuitton and Celine.

In the fast-paced and cut-throat fashion world, several high-end labels have changed their creative directors this year, including Gucci, Chloe and Alexander McQueen.

H.Nasr--SF-PST