How Riccardo Tisci changes the fashion game

Riccardo Tisci leaves Givenchy after 12 years as creative director. When he first walked in, the parisian fashion house was living hard time due to creative and financial instability. Through the years he succeeded in bringing Givenchy back in the top players of the luxury business. Meanwhile he was capable of chenging collective taste and in the way we all look at fashion itself forever. Tisci was also the only one of his successors, monsieur Huber De Givenchy asked to meet in person. No doubt that if we should list the most infuential designers of the last 20 years, Riccardo Tisci would be on top of it. Regardless the number of amazingly talented designers out there. The designer was born in Taranto, a city in the south of Italy.

He always had a strong connection with his homland such as with his family. The love for his mother and his sisters has become an inspiration and a leit motiv of his work. In his philosophy the ideas of family and sport team meet the undergroung culture concept of "crew" or "clique" and turn into one. Also the deep and intimate relationship Riccardo Tisci have with his muses: from Mariacarla Boscono to Lea T and from Marina Abramovic to Donatella Versace he created a small entourgage of close friends that gravitates around the brand. Givenchy advertising campaigns underwent a massive transformation in the idea of making them more Tisci lookalike and often referred to the concept of squad or restricted and eclosed group. If one had to choose three words to define Tisci's style those would be Urban Gothic Baroque. 

His own world of images is made of religious icons, bondage pin-ups, wild animals and Japanese mecha, directly from 80's anime. In his fashion broderie meet neoprene, weightless layers of tulle are studded with croc leather scales, silk is invaded by prints that recall of a dark reinterpretation of pop-art. It's hard to speak in few words about a carreer so full memorable moments and amazing collections. Yet, besides the incredible talent as a designer and the artistic value of his work, it's hard to ignore the deep cultural changes Tisci brought to fashion. Givenchy in the past 12 years have been extremely game-changing. One could even say Riccardo Tisci actually invented contemporary definition of fashion, This is also because the former Givenchy designer was a real star magnet. Jay Z, Kanye West, Justin Bieber and Rihanna are only few names the Givenchy roster could actually boast.

Tisci was the first creative director of an historic fashion house to design the tour merch for an artist. It happened in 2011 when he designed graphics for the full line of KW and Jay-Z “Watch the Throne” tour merch. He is also the father of so called High-end streetwear, that started as a trend, but  now has become something more spread and complex. High-end fashion met the streets and the streets met high fashion, thanks to Riccado Tisci innovative genius. And how not to mention the collaborations with Nike that made the line between designer fashion and streetwear even more subtile. He aways had a strong will to imprint his work with his own personal background. He had the power to turn real life, made of values, beliefs and experiences nto creative energy. He used culture as his canvas and knowledge as painting tools in order to give birth to his creations. The result of this proces it's the Givenchy signature aesthetic that we all know. The basic elements of his style code were the following.

Oversized printed t-shirts with the infamous "T" shaped stitch and the signature Cuban Fit. The studded tartan plaid shirts, the all-over print shirts and also the most basic ones with the star embroidered on the collar. The Tyson sneakers, high tops with a complex panelling and the iconic star shaped studs on the strap. The high-waisted wide legged pants with their bold 90's look. And yet the oversize printed shorts with printed leggings layered under. Tisci's fashion is made of iconic pieces and styling tips that have become a statement. No brand in extistence can call itself Tisci inflience-free. From the young talents that are still making high-end streetwear relevant on the international scene to the biggest historic fashion houses, they all have been somehow influenced by Givenchy. On the other side Riccardo Tisci's fashion deeply influenced many celebrities look through the years, that was one of the keys of his worldwide style revolution. Could you immagine Kanye West wearing a leather skirt before Tisci? I guess not. Same for the singer and sex symbol Jared Leto proudly pulling out a tartan kilt. We so this tranformation especially in the hip hop scene (Tisci's favorite).

All the most influencial trap and hip hop artists strarted wearing all black fists, leather and studded sneakers. That went on for way more than a season and we are still staring at the result of this style makover former Givencht designer was able to trigger.  Riccardo Tisci's ingluence on global fashion will never fade completely. He left an unforgettable sign that no one can overlook in order to be contemporary. Now that Tisci left the house Givenchy, a fashion era comes to an end. But we should expect more from him, get ready to be astonished again.