A basketball court gone eerily ethereal. This set the tone for Riccardo Tisci’s take on Givenchy Couture – and it’s not the gauzy, floral, effervescent Spring collection most designers have in mind. And we wouldn’t have Riccardo any other way!
Inspired by the groundbreaking 1920s film Metropolis, there were industrial touches like bold metal spikes, not to mention models sporting ornate nose rings that covered a hefty portion of their faces and earrings so massive they had to be supported with headbands. Despite the striking headgear, most awe-inspiring is Givenchy’s way with both skin and beads.
Gowns of crocodile skin? I think my bag may have just taken a backseat. Scales were individually cut, dyed, and sewn back together for the most hedonistic confection of exotic you can imagine. Lighter and more wearable, though, are the eccentrically beaded creations. Sequins and sparkle can look disco-glam, but not in Riccardo’s macabre world of high style. An haute couture collection for die-hard fashion fanatics and imaginative eccentrics who yearn to push the envelope.
