From WWD: http://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/riccardo-tisci-leaves-givenchy-wwd-10774902/
By Miles Socha on February 2, 2017
Riccardo Tisci, who revved up and reinvented Givenchy in his own edgy image, has exited the French house after an electrifying 12-year tenure.
The French couture house confirmed his departure exclusively to WWD, noting that his last collections were fall men’s wear and spring couture, which were paraded together at the National Library of France in Paris on Jan. 20.
Sources described the parting as mutual and amicable, the separation effective Jan. 31 following the expiration of his latest employment agreement.
Tisci invited friend and fellow designer, Donatella Versace to pose for a fall 2015 ad campaign.
Tisci’s departure is sure to intensify speculation he is heading to Versace.
WWD broke the news on Jan. 19 that the Milan-based house has been chasing Tisci, who has long expressed his admiration for the work of the late Gianni Versace and cultivated a close friendship with his sister Donatella, whom he invited to pose in a Givenchy ad campaign in 2015.
In light of Tisci’s departure, Givenchy will not stage a runway show on March 5 during Paris Fashion Week.
It is understood the fall women’s collection will be designed by the studio and sold to retailers in Givenchy’s Paris showroom as usual.
The format for presenting the collection to the press has yet to be determined.
More: See Riccardo Tisci’s Last Givenchy Show
Givenchy’s ateliers are also working on some of Tisci’s final designs as sources told WWD that he has lined up stars to wear custom couture outfits at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 12 and the Academy Awards on Feb. 26.
Celebrities in Tisci’s orbit include the likes of Meryl Streep, Beyoncé (who on Wednesday revealed she and her husband Jay Z are expecting twins), Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett, Ciara and Kanye West.
Kim Kardashian chose Givenchy couture for her 2015 wedding. Kim Kardashian West Instagram
Givenchy did not provide any timelines for naming a successor and declined all comment on potential candidates.
Tisci’s exit is the latest tremor as creative upheaval spreads through the top ranks of international fashion.
Over the past year, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Marni, Lanvin, Chloé, Jil Sander, Ermenegildo Zegna, Roberto Cavalli, Oscar de la Renta, Salvatore Ferragamo and Carven have all made changes in creative leadership.
As Givenchy draws up its list of potential candidates, it could draw on such well-known designers on the market as Hedi Slimane, Alber Elbaz, Peter Dundas, Clare Waight Keller, Rodolfo Paglialunga and Peter Copping. Buzzy designers like Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing could also be on its radar.
In a statement, Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Givenchy’s parent, lauded Tisci’s accomplishments.
“The chapter Riccardo Tisci has written with the house of Givenchy over the last 12 years represents an incredible vision to sustain its continuous success, and I would like to warmly thank him for his core contribution to the house’s development.”
For his part, Tisci said, “I have very special affection for the House of Givenchy and its beautiful teams. I want to thank the LVMH Group and Monsieur Bernard Arnault for giving me the platform to express my creativity over the years. I now wish to focus on my personal interests and passions.”
Jeweled everything at Givenchy’s spring 2012 couture show. Penske Med/REX/Shutterstock
A bundle of creative energy forever shod in Nike sneakers, Tisci was a daring, uncharacteristic hire for LVMH, which has a track record of casting media stars to helm its fashion brands, which also include Fendi, Céline, Kenzo, Loewe and Pucci.
Tisci was relatively unknown, and just 30, when he was recruited by then Givenchy ceo Marco Gobbetti, who is to assume the management helm of Burberry later this year.
Tisci succeeded a string of designers who, to varying degrees, encountered some bumps on the road to brand rejuvenation following the 1995 retirement of founder Hubert de Givenchy.
After a brief stint by John Galliano, who moved on to Dior, Alexander McQueen tried his hand. But his eclectic collections — space aliens one season, rockabilly the next — failed to galvanize the house. Next up was Julien Macdonald, who went back to a style rooted in French elegance and sophistication, but did not win much acclaim.
Tisci brought stability — and heat — to the storied name, immediately making inroads with the world’s leading specialty stores and spawning a series of hit leather goods, kicking off with the Nightingale bag.
He took on design duties for men’s wear three years later, and helped ignite the streetwear trend with his T-shirts printed with snarling Rottweilers or big stars, among his fetish motifs.
Setting a daring template informed by the energy of the club scene and tinged with sexual provocation, Tisci quickly became one of men’s wear’s most influential and original designers.
He had recently expressed a desire to extend Givenchy’s reach as a lifestyle brand, having introduced a range of clothes for babies and children that is slated for July delivery.
According to market sources, Givenchy increased more than sixfold in size during the Tisci era, and the brand’s revenues are now north of 500 million euros, or $540 million at current exchange. The number of employees has risen to more than 930 from 290 in 2005.
Philippe Fortunato, ceo of Givenchy, has been spearheading its recent expansion thrust and credited Tisci’s “visionary qualities that led to a strong growth of the brand.”
Fueled by Tisci’s design chops, powerful communication skills and clutch of A-list celebrity friends, the brand has been tracking strong sales momentum and profitability, sources said. Once dependent on wholesale, Givenchy continues its retail rollout, with a Rome boutique slated to open this year and a London flagship in the works for early 2018.
The company also recently took over direct distribution of its collections in two key luxury markets: Dubai and Singapore.
Givenchy today boasts 72 freestanding stores, compared to only seven in 2005 when Tisci arrived.
Continue reading here: http://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/riccardo-tisci-leaves-givenchy-wwd-10774902/
By Miles Socha on February 2, 2017
Riccardo Tisci, who revved up and reinvented Givenchy in his own edgy image, has exited the French house after an electrifying 12-year tenure.
The French couture house confirmed his departure exclusively to WWD, noting that his last collections were fall men’s wear and spring couture, which were paraded together at the National Library of France in Paris on Jan. 20.
Sources described the parting as mutual and amicable, the separation effective Jan. 31 following the expiration of his latest employment agreement.
Tisci invited friend and fellow designer, Donatella Versace to pose for a fall 2015 ad campaign.
Tisci’s departure is sure to intensify speculation he is heading to Versace.
WWD broke the news on Jan. 19 that the Milan-based house has been chasing Tisci, who has long expressed his admiration for the work of the late Gianni Versace and cultivated a close friendship with his sister Donatella, whom he invited to pose in a Givenchy ad campaign in 2015.
In light of Tisci’s departure, Givenchy will not stage a runway show on March 5 during Paris Fashion Week.
It is understood the fall women’s collection will be designed by the studio and sold to retailers in Givenchy’s Paris showroom as usual.
The format for presenting the collection to the press has yet to be determined.
More: See Riccardo Tisci’s Last Givenchy Show
Givenchy’s ateliers are also working on some of Tisci’s final designs as sources told WWD that he has lined up stars to wear custom couture outfits at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 12 and the Academy Awards on Feb. 26.
Celebrities in Tisci’s orbit include the likes of Meryl Streep, Beyoncé (who on Wednesday revealed she and her husband Jay Z are expecting twins), Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett, Ciara and Kanye West.
Kim Kardashian chose Givenchy couture for her 2015 wedding. Kim Kardashian West Instagram
Givenchy did not provide any timelines for naming a successor and declined all comment on potential candidates.
Tisci’s exit is the latest tremor as creative upheaval spreads through the top ranks of international fashion.
Over the past year, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Marni, Lanvin, Chloé, Jil Sander, Ermenegildo Zegna, Roberto Cavalli, Oscar de la Renta, Salvatore Ferragamo and Carven have all made changes in creative leadership.
As Givenchy draws up its list of potential candidates, it could draw on such well-known designers on the market as Hedi Slimane, Alber Elbaz, Peter Dundas, Clare Waight Keller, Rodolfo Paglialunga and Peter Copping. Buzzy designers like Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing could also be on its radar.
In a statement, Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Givenchy’s parent, lauded Tisci’s accomplishments.
“The chapter Riccardo Tisci has written with the house of Givenchy over the last 12 years represents an incredible vision to sustain its continuous success, and I would like to warmly thank him for his core contribution to the house’s development.”
For his part, Tisci said, “I have very special affection for the House of Givenchy and its beautiful teams. I want to thank the LVMH Group and Monsieur Bernard Arnault for giving me the platform to express my creativity over the years. I now wish to focus on my personal interests and passions.”
Jeweled everything at Givenchy’s spring 2012 couture show. Penske Med/REX/Shutterstock
A bundle of creative energy forever shod in Nike sneakers, Tisci was a daring, uncharacteristic hire for LVMH, which has a track record of casting media stars to helm its fashion brands, which also include Fendi, Céline, Kenzo, Loewe and Pucci.
Tisci was relatively unknown, and just 30, when he was recruited by then Givenchy ceo Marco Gobbetti, who is to assume the management helm of Burberry later this year.
Tisci succeeded a string of designers who, to varying degrees, encountered some bumps on the road to brand rejuvenation following the 1995 retirement of founder Hubert de Givenchy.
After a brief stint by John Galliano, who moved on to Dior, Alexander McQueen tried his hand. But his eclectic collections — space aliens one season, rockabilly the next — failed to galvanize the house. Next up was Julien Macdonald, who went back to a style rooted in French elegance and sophistication, but did not win much acclaim.
Tisci brought stability — and heat — to the storied name, immediately making inroads with the world’s leading specialty stores and spawning a series of hit leather goods, kicking off with the Nightingale bag.
He took on design duties for men’s wear three years later, and helped ignite the streetwear trend with his T-shirts printed with snarling Rottweilers or big stars, among his fetish motifs.
Setting a daring template informed by the energy of the club scene and tinged with sexual provocation, Tisci quickly became one of men’s wear’s most influential and original designers.
He had recently expressed a desire to extend Givenchy’s reach as a lifestyle brand, having introduced a range of clothes for babies and children that is slated for July delivery.
According to market sources, Givenchy increased more than sixfold in size during the Tisci era, and the brand’s revenues are now north of 500 million euros, or $540 million at current exchange. The number of employees has risen to more than 930 from 290 in 2005.
Philippe Fortunato, ceo of Givenchy, has been spearheading its recent expansion thrust and credited Tisci’s “visionary qualities that led to a strong growth of the brand.”
Fueled by Tisci’s design chops, powerful communication skills and clutch of A-list celebrity friends, the brand has been tracking strong sales momentum and profitability, sources said. Once dependent on wholesale, Givenchy continues its retail rollout, with a Rome boutique slated to open this year and a London flagship in the works for early 2018.
The company also recently took over direct distribution of its collections in two key luxury markets: Dubai and Singapore.
Givenchy today boasts 72 freestanding stores, compared to only seven in 2005 when Tisci arrived.
Continue reading here: http://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/riccardo-tisci-leaves-givenchy-wwd-10774902/
