FALL COUTURE COLLECTIONS: GIVENCHY

PARIS – as america celebrated it’s independence, fashion continued to thrive in paris through showings of haute couture. of the few couture collections which show twice a year, givenchy by way of ricardo tisci is seemingly unstoppable. this season, i will say- i felt a little more ease with the concepts that were shown. for the past five seasons, i’ve really paid much more attention to couture in taking time to understand the value of the art form. ricardo tisci is a genius, without a doubt, but i wonder if he will soon just become rested in greatness. from inspiration of tropical birds, to samurai warriors- we’ve seen every unexpected form of inspiration with givenchy’s couture collections. it’s the kind of buzz you feel in fashion that is visible everywhere. with the rise of social media, the global discussion has seemingly shifted to fashion. more specifically, high fashion. throughout the course of couture week in paris, donatella versace, raf simons & the house of christian dior were highlighted as trending headlines on the internet.

among the most anticipated design collections every season, images of givenchy’s latest couture collection spilled onto the internet on the fashion forums as well as on twitter as editors allowed faithful fashion followers to grab a few first glimpses.  at first glance, i was dissapointed. but then i started to see more detailed shots of the collection. intricacy to the tenth degree. inspired by modern day gypsies, ricardo tisci is always beautifully inspired by the most unique elements of style. while the collection lines were much more simplified in comparison to past seasons for couture at givenchy, the real magic is seen in the details. hand beading, embroidery- very couture. the use of leather, the palette- very givenchy. what’s particularly inspiring of the givenchy collections, which tisci has directed for the last seven years, is the amount of influence that is accompanied with them. i love that tisci really beats to his own drum & sets the bar higher, not only for fashion, but for himself in contrast to prior seasons, prior collections.

the concepts, looking at them much more simply- were distinct in representing the fall. each look was floor length as joan smalls’ look was a pair of pants & was paired with a dog. those types of oddities are what allow tisci to further standout from the rest of the fashion scene. all in all, the usual dark elements of givenchy were represented but for the most part, it’s expected. much like john galliano during his time at christian dior, toward the end he began to become boring. the theatricality, the design narrative associated with the clothes- it was all soo great, but so expected. that is the type of emotion i was left with in viewing this collection. hoping not to confuse complacency for masterful couture skill, the collection is one that allows the givenchy signature as represented by tisci to be felt. could it have been better? possibly. is it good? yes. was it the best? no. not to take anything away from the greatness of tisci’s work, but this collection didn’t resonate as powerfully as other givenchy collections have in the past.

SPRING MENSWEAR: GIVENCHY

PARIS – not many labels can surpass the obsession that we fashion kids & more recently, the hip-hop community- has with givenchy. for decades, the house of givenchy has been tied to some of hollywood’s biggest & brightest icons. while audrey hepburn might differ completely & totally from kanye west- the level of visibility that the french label has recieved in these modern times is unprecendented. every season, as a reflex, i kind of shutter at the fact that so many unaware clamor over the sight or mention of anything givenchy. while im all for conversations on fashion, im not one for hype- especially when it comes with a false sense of awareness. you can’t scroll on your dashboard on tumblr without seeing some random hypester on the east coast posting givenchy runway images from four seasons ago, praising the craftsmanship or design concept like it’s new. im all for timeliness- especially in the confines of fashion. who wants to be late? ever? while i am very about creating ones own lane, or creating your own rules- i am also very aware of certain behaviors being excepted or not excepted in certain circles. im not afraid to admit my own social awareness, but in fashion- you’re either in real time, ahead of time or behind. this, i know. circling old collections for new inspiration & then glorifying it as new is definitely not the thing to do when concerning fashion or how to translate style.

this concept of being ahead of time is perfect when considering the trend relevance of the house of givenchy. through exploration of trend, i have come to notice that very few labels actually set these trends. while many follow guidelines discussed by fashion councils, only a few labels in fashion today actually spark interest amongst style culture- which then creates a buzz leading to a mass of retail reinterpretations at every price point from thousands of dollars all the way down to dollar bins at discount stores- the house of givenchy has set many trends in the last five years, effortlessly. well, maybe effortlessly is not the right choice of word, as im sure the work of tisci could not easily be imitated by many of us. ricardo’s work at givenchy is truly remarkable & as much as i want to believe that this fashion house does not live up to it’s hype; every season, it does. described after the show by jean-paul gode as “vatican chic”, the spring 2013 menswear collection at givenchy was inspired by both sex & religion. it was sensual, outspoken & beautiful. delicate where needed & dark where necessary. most stunning were the collections prints, which hosted a range of religious imagery. one of the collections images was particularly striking, granted my upbringing as a catholic.

there is a story in the bible that speaks of an incident during jesus’ resurrection, when a woman- said to be saint veronica of jerusalem, wiped jesus’ sweat from his face with her veil & his face remained imprinted on the veil. the images of a slightly painted face remind me of that story. i love tisci’s use of religion in contrast with sensuality & at moments, darkness. i feel that there is no greater cultural curiosity than that of religion. tisci represents, reflects & introduces fashion audiences to this level of curiousity & explores it rather than exploiting it. while not terribly visible in the images of this post, some of the collections bomber jackets are  very softly printed with ghostly images of what appear to be the virgin mary. while the collection is subtle in it’s use of silhouette & the concepts are kept clean- the use of print & what the collection represents makes this collection truly a work of art. ricardo tisci continues to defy the odds by raising the bar for himself & the house of givenchy. with couture on it’s way, im sure that tisci’s genius will only continue to shine into show season, where both couture & womens ready-to-wear await us. another incredible collection that surpasses what can be considered style & instead becomes labeled, art. [source]

COUTURE COLLECTIONS: GIVENCHY

PARIS – shedding his purified direction seen in the last two couture seasons, ricardo tisci returned to the dark side for the SS12 haute couture season in paris. in 1952, the house of givenchy was founded by hubert de givenchy. upon establishment, givenchy became a fixture in fashion history through his affiliation with film icon, audrey hepburn & his associations with the kennedys. from 1952-1995, hubert de givenchy was in place at his own label but retired after 43 years. following hubert’s retirement, john galliano was selected as the label’s new creative director, which lasted for a mere two years. as you may know, galliano then left givenchy, upon the offering of a creative directing position at christian dior; where he remained for 15 years up until 2011. following galliano’s departure, alexander mcqueen was then put in place as creative director at givenchy, which allowed a whole other level of fashion to be entered into. throughout fashion history, the house of givenchy has housed & introduced some of the greatest designers, catapulting them into the larger high-end design stratosphere. tisci remains within that lane of great artists that have been given a place not only at givenchy, but in fashion all together. for this couture collection, tisci mentioned the importance of ‘identity’, using this collection to recap all he has done in his seven years with the historic french house.

through all of the speculation whether tisci will leave his post at givenchy to make a move to dior, one would speculate even further once hearing of tisci’s train of thought during the creation of this collection. “the mark of a successful designer is having an identity”, tisci said during interviews about the collection; which definitely adds a sense of retrospect from the designer. no doubt, tisci has made his mark with his work at givenchy, but why would he take this season to look back at all he’s done? unless he was planning to open a new chapter? speculation has lead us to believe that belgian designer, raf simons, is in the lead for the race to dior; but even that has never been confirmed beyond speculated reports. time will tell if this collection is a simple design check point for ricardo, or if it is indeed the closing of one chapter & the opening of a new. cited inspiration for the hand-made collection were 20’s films metropolis (1927) & aelita: queen of mars (1924), which can be seen in the collections concepts of art deco & crystalized embellishments. always a stand out each season, tisci has been doing delicate & powerfully influenced collections of exotic birds & samurais the last two seasons, while this season sees him going back to his darker roots. one piece from the collection was reported taking 350 hours to create- signal enough that the collection is no laughing matter. i always love when designers take opposition, further contrasting themselves against seasons, in fashion. for spring, generally, one would assume that romantic direction would be taken with beautiful florals, like many of the other collections we’ve seen thus far. but tisci, like a true original, separated himself from that expectation; presenting something chic & darkly glamourous.

listed in order from left to right, the 10 piece collection was modeled by joan smalls, stella tennant, ana claudia michels, kristen mcmenamy, saskia de brauw, daria strokous, natasha poly, zuzanna bijoch, valerija kelava & kati nescher. im always extrememly interested to see how tisci opts to have each collection shot. for the pre-fall season, i heard the collection was shot in the streets of brooklyn. this collection? shot in what appears to be a basketball court, which is hinted at the hoop net above the 10 looks & the basketball that rests below the ten models’ feet. overall, the collection is still just a glimpse of design construction genius in images. even when seeing collections through video or strategic lighting, the art of couture is to be experienced in real life, off screen- something that digital media could never replace. what i value most about couture is, despite the advancements of sewing machines, laser cut leather & other modern technology- there is no greater value than a classical technique handed down from generation to generation, from one skilled individual to another. tisci demonstrates that even the most modern fashion houses can still rock with tradition in a way that truly blends the new school with the old. you don’t need me to say it, by just looking at the collection- the designs are impeccable & tisci, via givenchy remains un-fucking-touchable. [source]

on the radar: caesar stovall

known for breaking new ground through runway casting, the house of givenchy is expected to deliver one of the most outstanding runway shows each season. in addition to creating incredible menswear & womenswear, givenchy breaks new ground & in opting for models that others would deem as less desirable; they’ve managed to remain untouched in the fashion game, allowing new faces to take the stage, season after season. much like givenchy, red models has tapped into this aspect of male modeling that, to an extent, has been unrepresented. male models like wendell lissimore, henry watkins & dominique hollington were introduced to us by this agency& this season, they continue to bring the heat.  on the runway this season, givenchy allowed yet another male model to take center stage by booking him as an exclusive for the show. hailing from south carolina, caesar is currently based in new york city after having spent some time on the frontline fighting in iraq & afghanistan. seen here yesterday, caesar recorded backstage video in which he appears to be star struck in the presence of kanye west & usher, while also giving us a up-close & personal look at what it’s like to be behind the scenes with the models at a major runway show. each season, im always rooting for so many faces that standout; some make it while others don’t but the story of caesar stovall is one that is particularly endearing. in a casting video by red, stovall talks about being from the south where they do ‘country things’ & in his backstage givenchy video seems genuinely grateful for the experience. cinematically, which is how my mind works 500% of the time, it was like nicki minaj’s ‘moment 4 life’ soundtracking: “i fly with the stars in the skies, i am no longer trying to survive- i believe that life is a prize but to leave doesn’t mean you’re alive.” at the 7:30 mark, after having models introduce themselves on camera amidst chaos, caesar looks into the mirror & says, “we made it” with a smile. it’s in that moment that shit gets real- the fact that individuals of color are being afforded these amazing opporutnities is truly amazing to me. equipped with a look that is both high end & commercially acceptable, i envision caesar booking a number of jobs, both editorially & through advertising campaigns. while fiercely competitive, the personality showcased in the backstage video, that feeling of adrenaline & excitement that is clear on stovall’s face- it’s in those moments that stars are born. one booking is all it takes to allow someone to be recieved on a greater global scale. for models, those moments are what it’s all about. with new york fashion week looming, i will be checking for caesar at the new york menswear presentations & runway shows i’ll be attending. as the color lines of fashion become much more heavily blurred, caesar stovall is one of many i want you to put on your radar.

video: backstage at givenchy with caesar stovall

heavenly aesthetics: givenchy haute couture, fall

creatively unstoppable, ricardo tisci & the house of givenchy slayed the couture season once more, this time with the theme of birds of paradise. presenting an exclusive 10 look set, in an off runway presentation style- the FW11 collection draws relativity to givenchy’s last two couture collections in the form of intricate details & mirrored silhouettes. feathers, sheer textiles, beading & floral embroidery are all element seen in the collection, which is nothing short of amazing. with speculation of tisci heading up dior, collections like this make you wonder how the house of givenchy would even survive without him. unendingly inspiring work from ready-to-wear to couture, from campaigns & model castings- im convinced that tisci is where he needs to be, at the house of givenchy. while ackermann might be considered as a creative candidate, tisci + givenchy together are flawless.

some of the fashion kids have criticized the collection as being redundant & too similar to what we’ve seen the last couple of seasons; which i would have to disagree with. while i do find similarities in concept, couture is about details & here, in this collection, the theme of paradise taps into more romanticized details, aspects of floral embellishments- the designs are heavenly. now, in contrast to last season, which was a japanese samurai inspired collection, those elements were much more structured & focused largely on hardware as a balance with femininity & japanese fluidity. going back even further, givenchy’s Fw10 couture collection tapped into a much warmer color palette & used religion & gothic elements as the basis of their collection, which is clearly not what is seen here. considering all bases covered, givenchy continues to inspire me & i will say, without a doubt, that this is one of the best this season. beautifully executed.

menswear collections: givenchy, fall

the house of givenchy continues to establish & expand their current design signatures with a cast of usual suspects for the runways of men’s paris fashion week. flames, florals, black & brown with bleached brows & hair- the collection is one of great concept & expectedly strong direction. while a few womenswear looks did appear for the mens show, we seen two blacked out looks- one of which was worn by supermodel, joan smalls. as for the boys; taejahn taylor joined the givenchy roster along with veterans rob evans, paolo roldan, manuel ramos, kadeem, eduardo calero, dominique hollington, keith hernandez jon marquez & stephen thompson, who is the albino male model, represented by major models, whom appeared for the labels spring campaign. before the runway show had a chance to begin, technical difficulties resulted in a momentary black out & it seems as though the lack of light was magically translated through the clothes. though deep earth tones, navy & some neutrals are used, the collection remained, for the most part, dark; an aesthetic creative director ricardo tisci favors greatly. i love the multi-layered coats as well as the use of plaid, fur & images of barking canine’s on some of the collections pieces. one of the strongest houses right now, not only in paris but internationally is, givenchy. with an increasingly larger cast that is seen on the runway & for campaigns, i am beyond excited & thrilled to see what will be presented for haute couture as well as women’s ready-to-wear, which is also not too far off. of the givenchy collections, i expect greatness & each season, im thoroughly satisfied.

imagesource | style

lea t. for luvre

landing the cover of luvre, lea t. of women model management milan appears stunningly in givenchy. seen in black & white for issue no. 4; lea has been a hot topic in the world of fashion & has had a number of highly visible opportunities to break barriers as the world’s first transexual female model. while i applaud modern ideals & support breaking new ground, i wonder how strongly the industry would have reacted, had lea not been involved with the house of givenchy. while it’s known that lea is a good friend of givenchy creative director, ricardo tisci, she was also once employed as his assistant. that said, many of her biggest breaks in fashion include her involvement with tisci in direct association with the house of givenchy. landing campaigns & booking the haute couture show for the house that your good friend directs is wonderful; but is that where lea’s fashion opportunities live & die? will other fashion houses embrace her as the face of their brand? after givenchy, will the house of chanel, yves saint laurent or versace follow? time will definitely tell how much longevity lea will be able to sustain in the coming year, as well as the coming season. fashion is about playing favorites, but is also about versatility & likeability, how well you can transform.  that said, i applaud ms. t’s brave spirit in allowing herself to become a topic of discussion. groundbreaking.

imagesource | tfs

editorialesque » one of a kind by hercules

what yo’ name iz? bruno di angelis, caio cesar, erasmo viana,
joão mah, lea t., lucas mascarini, ricardo dal moro

shot by giampaolo sgura, lea t. appears for issue no. 9 of hercules magazine with an army of male models. boasting a one of a kind theme, i admire the concept in it’s attempt to further project lea as a high fashion rarity. fashion editing for the spread was done by miguel arnau, represented by women milan, lea t. is the first transexual female model in fashion. her groundbreaking entrance into high fashion has been greatly aided by givenchy creative director, ricardo tisci. through his guidance lea has appeared for french vogue, as well as in the FW10 givenchy campaign & walked for the houses haute couture collection this past july in paris. leather, red nylon leggings & leopard print add that much more of an outstanding feel to the spread, which appears on a cocaine white studio backdrop. lea has been warmly welcomed into the grips of high fashion & is a favorite among my readers.

imagesource | brazilmodels

the fashion report: fifty-one