paris - givenchy - fall/winter 2008

GIVENCHY
its been a few years since italian designer ricardo tisci has been appointed as the head designer for the venerable house of givenchy. in that small amount of time, people have been waiting for that moment when he finally claims seat to the throne left occupied when hubert de givenchy retired in 1995. part of the reason why people have been anxiously waiting for that moment is the need to have a stabilizing factor in a house that has become a revolving door for so many designers. although most will argue that this is the collection that cemented and validated the hype around tisci, it was in his last couture collection that this energy finally took root. the architectural elements from the couture show reappeared this time in sharp knife pleats that trimmed the iconic givenchy blouses and jackets. tisci who was also inspired by south american religious iconography, managed to marry his own romantic goth sensibility along with traditional spanish touches such as lace, ruffles, and in the high waisted matador inspired pants to create one of the most striking and distinctive aesthetic during paris fashion week. the real talent in tisci, just like many of his contemporaries in paris, is to be able to take grand old ideas from the past and haute couture and combine it with a street level sensibility. a robust history alone won't assure the safety of the grand couture houses. it needs to be injected with the energy youth and urgency of modernity to survive. so it is probably fitting that religious icons abounded in this collection because the salvation of the house of givenchy relies on the talent of this incredible designer.




photo: style.com