Ricardo hush collection. Riccardo Tisci: how a guy from nowhere resurrected the Givenchy fashion house

The most anticipated debut of the coming month is, of course, the Riccardo Tisci collection for Burberry. For the designer, this is the first collection in the last 12 years that he does not create for Givenchy. And for Burberry, this is the first collection in 17 years that isn't designed by Christopher Bailey.

From the September show Riccardo Tisci expect nothing more than a sensation. First, because Tisci's appointment at Burberry is linked to an ambitious plan to radically revamp the brand, previously proposed by Marco Gobetti, the chief executive. Secondly, because Tisci has already managed to take several unexpected and decisive steps over the past few months: he changed the prim logo of the British brand to a bright one, announced Burberry’s collaboration with the queen of British punk Vivienne Westwood ... So, Tisci’s first collection should be clear make it clear that the era of Christopher Bailey is over, and the new Burberry has nothing to do with it.

It is not the first time that Riccardo Tisci undertakes a radical redesign of the brand. In the 2000s, he reshaped the image of Givenchy, turning the French fashion house, famous for its couture collections, into a trendy and dynamic brand. We have to admit, however, that the situation with Burberry is quite different. As creative director, Tisci was replaced by Christopher Bailey, who, like himself, is an innovator, international media darling and celebrity whose departure is still a source of regret for many. Burberry, moreover, has always been a brand much more democratic and less niche than Givenchy, and over the years of its existence has become a popular symbol of British identity around the world. That is why the question of whether the Italian Tisci, who has worked most his life in Paris, win the favor of brand customers.

Marco Gobetti, who joined the company a year ago, aims to transform the brand from relatively democratic to exclusive. Gobetti plans to diversify Burberry products, launch new lines of accessories, and make extensive use of expensive materials (leather, for example). Not surprisingly, it was Riccardo Tisci who was invited to the post of creative director, with whom Gobetti, by the way, had already worked once: at Givenchy about ten years ago. Tisci, with his many years of experience in haute couture, knows how to create an aura of exclusivity and luxury like no one else: Riccardo Tisci's clothes at Givenchy unconditionally gained a reputation as a status symbol, and in just the first few years of his work at Givenchy, the number of couture collection clients increased from 5 to 29.

Although Tishi managed to build brilliant career in haute couture, his own origins are humble: the designer was born in southern Italy to a working-class family. His father died when Riccardo was four years old, and nine children (the designer has eight sisters) were raised by their mother alone. Tisha had to work from the age of nine to pay for school, and instead of spending time with her peers, free time he preferred to draw. As the designer admits, only after moving to London did he feel truly himself.

Tisci came to London when he was 17 years old, having received a scholarship from the College of St. Martin. London in the 1990s seemed to Tisci insanely exciting. He was fascinated by nightclubs, eccentric party-goers (he even saw the legendary Lee Bowery at one of them), and the extravagant shows of Alexander McQueen and John Galiano, which Tisci managed to sneak into most of the time without an invitation. If in Italy Tisci worked part-time by distributing flyers of clubs, then in London he became a partygoer. He designed the outfits himself, altering things found in second-hand stores, and his most grandiose acquisition during his student years was a pair of Nike sneakers. Ironically, in the 2010s, he partnered with Nike to redesign the same Air Max 97s he once loved.

Graduated with honors from St. Martin's College Tisci, and his graduation collection, inspired by the work of Fellini and Pasolini (and sewn by the designer's sisters), was, according to reviews, excellent. After graduating from the university, Tisci returned to Italy, where he worked with several brands. In 2004, after a long trip to India, he launched his own eponymous label, the very first collection of which attracted the management of Givenchy.

The French brand was just then looking for a replacement for Julian McDonald, the British designer who served as creative director after Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. Givenchy was not in the best position: sales remained low, and style rather inconsistent. But Tisha's debut collection - eclectic, original and modern - interested people from LVMH. Tisci's work for his independent brand, which the designer showed in an abandoned Milanese factory, combined elements of gothic and allusions to the work of Martin Margiela - the same mixture of romanticism and ironic refinement for which he is so appreciated today.

Ricardo Tisci, 2005

Surprisingly, Tisci was initially reluctant to accept the LVMH offer. He changed his mind because of the difficult financial situation in which his family was. “I didn’t want to agree at all,” the designer told Vogue magazine. I was about to decline their offer. But a week before the meeting with Givenchy, my mother called me and said: “I think I will sell our house, it’s hard for your sisters, they have children, they need money. And I'm moving to a nursing home." When I heard this, I felt like a complete failure ... And then I went to an interview in Paris, where they showed me a contract with an insane number of zeros ... It was a real divine salvation.

Over the first few seasons at Givenchy, Tisci managed to develop a recognizable style that clearly showed the influence of the goth subculture and Catholicism, techno and street fashion. In 2008, Tisci was entrusted with work on Givenchy men's collections. They were influenced by street style and, as critic Tim Blanks noted, "church austerity." Tisci, an Italian from the south, has always had a dramatic streak, and his screenings have sometimes been theatrical, such as the September 11, 2015, New York screening at sunset to the sound of Ave Maria. It was directed by artist Marina Abramovic, a longtime friend and admirer of Tisha.

Riccardo Tisci after Givenchy Spring/Summer 2008 show.

An army of stellar fans appeared at Givenchy already in the late 2000s, among them was Kanye West, who was gaining popularity. By the way, it is Riccardo Tisci who is largely responsible for the emergence of a new style icon - Kim Kardashian, whom, despite the general skepticism in the fashion industry, he began to dress in the early 2010s at the request of West.

Tisci, with his talent for unexpected combinations - low and high, casual and strict - also became one of those who introduced the trend to sports style (remember him reverent attitude to Nike sneakers!). However, one of the most memorable designs by Riccardo Tisci during his collaboration with Givenchy remains a sweatshirt with a Rottweiler print - it seems that all stylish men managed to flaunt in such. We can confidently say that the retinue of famous fans will remain faithful to Tisha now: at least judging by the fact that Beyoncé recently wore his Burberry jumpsuit to her concert.

Sensitive, emotional Tisci called the inner circle of employees, models and friends of the house nothing more than a family - and this was completely sincere and serious. The family also became new faces that he discovered, and celebrities for whom he sewed dresses and stage costumes. Even couture shows were quickly abandoned by the designer in favor of more intimate presentations, where he himself interacted with clients: “I dress the ones I like,” he told The New York Times. Tisci has always loved "women of color" - long before brands start to fall for insufficient racial diversity at shows, he released young Joan Smalls (whose relatives he even went to Puerto Rico to meet) and Lakshmi Menon, and in 2010 was the first designer to invite a Brazilian transgender model, Leia T, to star in a campaign. For all her popularity, Tisci always carried the idea of ​​unconventional beauty, his heroine was never someone who could be called, for example, “pretty”. He released models on the catwalk with faces covered with rhinestones or black patterns, or even plates imitating mustaches and beards. Among the faces of the brand were the singers Beyoncé and Erica Badu, and among the most unexpected heroines of the campaigns - Julia Roberts and Donatella Versace, a close friend of the designer and, according to rumors, his next employer.Tisha's approach to women's dress unique: while the amount of decorativeness and intricate cuts can be pushed to the limit, his outfits are always surprisingly solid and flattering female figure(surprisingly, almost anyone) - many critics suggest that such coverage originates from the designer's nepotism and the fact that he grew up surrounded by nine women different ages. This talent, the mastery of styling, lush romance, famous friends (who are friends, of course, with Tisci, and not with Givenchy and will follow him further) and the fact that he is, after all, an Italian - all this today looks just like ready gift set for Versace. Moreover - let's make a bold assumption - it is likely that Donatella herself is already very, very tired.

It is interesting that when Tisci was offered to manage the men's collection as well (this was in 2008, and for several years before that, the Givenchy men's collection had been assembled by the existing team), Ricardo hesitated. At the same time, he quickly became one of the most influential men's designers. He managed not only to rethink the elegance of suits (which began to regularly hit the red carpet along with dresses), but also to make convincing luxury streetwear: sweatshirts with prints, bright graphic sweaters, T-shirts, sneakers - the designer himself prefers Street style, and perhaps that is why his works are so organic. As a result, on the male field, he managed to create no less striking aesthetics than on the female one - and attract separate army fans ranging from celebrities (ranging from Jared Leto to Jay-Z to Kanye) to teenagers saving up for printed slip-ons or the NikeLab x Riccardo Tisci collaboration.

The news of the new appointment at Burberry shocked the fashion community and excited all his sympathizers. Such a move was not expected from the management of the brand. Riccardo Tisci, former creative director of Givenchy, a lover of decadent luxury, eccentric retro-futurism and dark sensibility and Burberry, a brand that is used to be associated with minimalist classics or, in recent times, with democratic and relaxed athleisure. What can this "hot" Italian bring to a brand with a "cold" and "functional" British aesthetic? If you think about it, not so much. It is worth digging a little deeper, as it becomes clear: the appointment of Ricardo Tisci to this position is quite natural.

Englishman Christopher Bailey, who announced his departure from Burberry in October 2017, has been in office for 16 years. He is considered (and this is absolutely right!) the person who breathed into the brand new life. Under him, the revenue beat all conceivable and unthinkable forecasts, and the brand, which back in the 90s had an image of a conservative and focused mainly on middle-aged and older people, noticeably rejuvenated. First of all, thanks to the course towards digitalization - Bailey, a talented visionary, was one of the first to take it, a few years before the era of the social media craze. In particular, back in the 2000s, Bailey launched The Art Of Trench project, a site about the history of the legendary trench coat, where anyone could upload their photo in the iconic Burberry raincoat. This was in 2009 and there was a whole year before the advent of Instagram.

Among other "digital" achievements of the Briton are online broadcasts of shows, during which anyone could buy the thing they liked; cooperation with Snapchat, Google and Apple Music and a serious "modernization" of branded boutiques - for example, there are now screens that display all the information about the things presented in the store.

In addition, Bailey rejuvenated Burberry advertising campaigns. In his era, millennial idols and then Generation Z began shooting for the fashion house and its beauty division: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Cara Delevingne, Adwoa Aboah, Jude Law's daughter Iris and Pierce Brosnan's son Dylan.

Gradually, although not immediately, Burberry clothes also began to “modernize”. If, for example, in the SS2014 season, Bailey focuses on conventional femininity, graphic cut and minimalistic, though not boring, classics, then already in the SS2017 collection, a movement towards fashionable asexual androgyny is noticeable, the creative director’s craving for an asymmetric cut in the spirit of deconstructivism.

Further more. In the summer of 2017, the brand launched a collaboration with Gosha Rubchinsky, a designer whose name in the name of a brand or collection today adds a hundred points to relevance. Sportswear with the legendary Burberry plaid appeared at Rubchinsky twice - in the SS18 and FW18-19 seasons. Thus, Bailey not only once again proved his ability to “keep his nose to the wind”, but also ironically beat one of the stereotypes associated with Burberry: in his native Britain, things from this brand are often associated with the style of “chavs”, rude guys from the outskirts, the nearest relatives of our "gopniks". Around the 80s, these "brave" guys were actively wearing baseball caps and t-shirts in the same check - often fake, but who cares? By allowing Gaucher, the gop style's main apologist, to combine these things with his aesthetic, Bailey returned them to fashionable "legitimacy".

The designer himself, around the same time, also began to gravitate toward the trendy athleisure style. No more tight skirts and "office" knitted dresses. Their place was taken by windbreakers, wide sports trousers, oversized coats (but, of course, plaid!) and stretched, “aged” cardigans.

Bailey dedicated his latest collection for Burberry (SS18) to LGBT youth and his own youth, which fell on the 80s and 90s - decades that, by no coincidence, modern designers are cited more frequently. Models walked the runway in puffy vests, long sleeves and rainbow-print ponchos. In addition, the collection contains things in acid shades, as if painted with graffiti, and “wild” looks, made up, for example, of oversized sweaters and tiered long skirts.

In a word, Bailey managed to make the brand entrusted to him in a good way crazy, reckless and, as a result, really fashionable, and not just by the fact of belonging to the fashion industry. The appointment of Ricardo Tisci in light of this is a quite reasonable step, perfectly fitting into the strategy to rejuvenate yesterday's "brand for respectable pensioners."

Italian Tishi has been in the fashion industry for almost 30 years. In the 90s and the first half of the 2000s, he collaborated with Missoni, Antonio Berardi, Puma, and also worked on his own brand of the same name. But only after coming to the post of creative director of Givenchy in 2005, the young designer became truly famous. According to rumors (which are most likely true) at an interview with the bosses of the fashion house, he was the only candidate who did not mention the name of Audrey Hepburn, with whom, first of all, the style of classic Givenchy is associated. And that is why the leadership opted for a candidate unknown to anyone in those years. The Parisian fashion house was in desperate need of a man who could make his clothes desirable for younger generation– just as the old British brand Burberry needed in 2001.

Quiet lived up to expectations. He, like Bailey, managed to completely modernize the brand under his control. Some even think it's too much. So, Hubert de Givenchy himself said in an interview with the online publication Women's Wear Daily that Ricardo's works for Givenchy "do not feel the spirit of the house." The Italian retorted, answering that he, like the legendary founder, has “his own Audreys” - model Mariacarla Boscono, artist and performanceist Marina Abramovic, transgender model Lea T. and rock diva Courtney Love. This is not the whole list of Tisha's muses. Ciara, Rihanna, Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian became Givenchy's friends during his time at the helm. The latter even married Kanye West (another great friend of the brand) in a Givenchy dress by Ricardo Tisci.

“Kim for me is the personification modern woman says the designer. She is the epitome of today's society. If someone doesn't like it, that's their problem."

But, of course, it's not just about the ability to gather a pool of "your" people around you. Givenchy clothes also became different with the advent of Tisha. For 12 years of work in the fashion house, he managed to establish himself as a lover of solemn, but not gloomy "Gothic", baroque redundant finishes, black color and architectural cut.

The Italian loves experiments bordering on outrageous. He released models in masks and with pierced makeup on the catwalk, created fantastic avant-garde headdresses and costumes similar to Martian vestments.

It is unlikely that the modest Audrey would have dared to try on any of this, but the new generation of fashionistas undoubtedly liked this aesthetic. Brand revenue increased geometric progression, and the FW15 collection was almost completely sold out in the first few days after the start of sales. The brand was also loved by top stars like Madonna and Julia Roberts. In 2012, Tisci canceled couture shows, saying they were out of date and inappropriate, and that he prefers to show haute couture on the stars who wear them on the red carpet. True, in 2016 the couture line resumed: Tisci combined the show with the men's show and released a lookbook. And then he invited industry professionals and clients to the atelier so that they could see with their own eyes how made-to-measure outfits are created.

(Riccardo Tisci; born August 8, 1974) – famous italian fashion . In 1999 he graduated from the prestigious London educational institution Central Saint Martins Academy.

In 2005 he was appointed to the post creative designer departments of women's fashion and French Givenchy. In 2008, he also began managing Givenchy's menswear and menswear departments.

The designer's passion for the gothic and the era of minimalism, embodied in the works for the Givenchy fashion house, contributed to the attraction to the brand new wave attention from critics and buyers. Before Tisha came to the post of creative director of the brand, reviews of Givenchy were rather vague and infrequent, but now the designer is called the future of the fashion house. According to critics, he brought Givenchy to life with his precision and unusual imagination.

In February 2017, the designer decided to leave the Givenchy Fashion House, having worked as the creative director of the brand for 12 years.

Biography

Riccardo Tisci was born in 1974 in the Italian city of Taranto, founded by the inhabitants of Sparta as a city-state in 706 BC, and known for numerous myths about mermaids and other sea ​​creatures. This mysterious theme can be traced from time to time in the design works of Tisha in different directions.

The youngest of nine children, Riccardo, was only son in family. His mother Elmerida lost her husband very early and was forced to raise her children alone. The family was so poor that the state almost took the children away from Elmerida to take them under its care. Riccardo himself, as a child, wore out the clothes of his sisters, altered for him. With no money for school trips and other trips, the mother was constantly inventing entertainment for the children, trying to make up for the lack of what others had. But Tisha alone was always enough with his head: he literally bathed in the love of nine caring women.

“We never had enough money, so my childhood was hard. The ingredients of my work were Latin romanticism and the forces I needed.

“We were poor. Poor in the sense that they mostly ate once a day.”

Tisci grew up in the Italian commune of Cermenate and, in order to somehow support his family, from the age of 12 he took on any job, from a plasterer to playing the role of Santa Claus on Christmas holidays. In addition, Riccardo distributed leaflets, worked in nightclubs and was an assistant to local florists.

AT early age the boy showed a unique talent for drawing. He plunged into the mythological, fictional world of centaurs, and later became interested in music: he began to listen to the Cure group and became obsessed with modern musical culture and.

"Honestly, I love art and music even more than I love fashion."

In 1990, Riccardo won an internship with the textile company Faro in Como, which later allowed him to work for Paloma Picasso, creating ornaments, drawings and designs.

Tisci excelled at school, but, due to poverty and the inability to pay for education, he had no prospects for further education. At the age of seventeen, disillusioned with the policies of Italian President Sandro Pertini, Riccardo decided to try his luck by leaving for London.

“The moment my feet set foot on the ground in London, I knew this was my chance. I felt the energy of this city."

"I came to London to survive."

Within a few weeks of staying in London, the young man managed not only to master English, but also to find work in hotels and restaurants in the city. One day, on the tube, he picked up a free newspaper and saw an advertisement for the London College of Fashion. Tishi entered training without any problems, and Priyesh Shah became his mentor. It was he who noticed the unique talent of Riccardo and arranged him for an internship with his business partner. Berardi, in turn, encouraged Tisci to enter the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design Academy. The young man managed to successfully pass the entrance exams, but he did not have money to visit the Academy. Willy Walters, director of the fashion course, insisted that the young man should not give up trying to start studying and apply to the state for a scholarship. Tisci subsequently won a grant that gave him a pass to the second year of a three-year study program at Central Saint Martins.

“I dreamed of being independent, having a real opportunity to express myself, learning to sew.”

In 1999, Tisci graduated with honors and, despite the dominating dark style of the time, he proved that he could attract attention with the sexuality and lightness of being expressed in his dissertation, which was inspired by the films of Pasolini and Fellini. To attend Riccardo's graduation show, his mother left Italy for the first time and made her first flight. Since then, she has not missed a single show of her son.

After studying the archives of the fashion house, Tisci decided to continue working in the direction that characterized the brand in the 50s and 60s. He created full-fledged images, adding accessories, shoes to them, and even keeping in mind the woman who would wear all this. He came to the office at 6 in the morning, along with the cleaners, and left workplace after midnight. One fine day, having learned about such devotion to his work, Hubert Givenchy himself invited the young designer to breakfast at his mansion.

“He was so sweet and hospitable. And he didn’t talk about fashion at all during the meeting.”

After showing Tisha's first collection for Givenchy Haute Couture, Queen Rania of Jordan called the office of the fashion house and asked Riccardo to design a complete wardrobe for her. When the fashion designer flew to London, the Queen greeted him fully dressed in Ricardo Tisci.

Unlike most other designers who worked at Givenchy after the departure of the founder of the brand, Riccardo Tisci has achieved not only positive feedback critics, but also contributed to a significant improvement in the financial situation of the House. In his collections, he presented not only stylish and original, but also practical, wearable wardrobe items. His Haute Couture collections also became a great success.

“When I started working, we had only 5 clients from the Haute Couture line. Now there are 29 of them.

In 2008, in addition to the lines of women's clothing and accessories already in his charge, Riccardo Tisci began to develop collections of clothing and accessories for men. Here, too, he made his mark, offering unexpected and bold solutions, such as sweatshirts in sequins or lacy pinks.

“In recent times, fashion can be found anywhere. This is rather strange. When I was a kid, Versace looked like Versace and Armani looked like Armani. You could always figure out who did what, whether you liked it or not. Now I see similarities in many things. But only those who go their own way, work on their own style, will achieve success.

Under the Givenchy brand, the designer also designed costumes for Madonna's Sticky & Sweet tour in 2008 and for the number for the song "Candy Shop" in 2009. In addition, Tisci created the singer's clothes for everyday life.

In 2009, the designer began to develop the first inexpensive line of the Givenchy Redux fashion house.

At the Givenchy collection show autumn-winter season 2011 Riccardo Tisci included the famous transgender model Lea Tee, who has worked with him for many years and was his assistant. In the same year, after a long work with the main "nose" of Givenchy, the designer introduced a new brand fragrance - "Dahlia Noir".

Also in 2011, the fashion designer was named the main contender for the post of dismissed from the House. At the end of the year it became known that this information was not confirmed.

In February 2017, the designer decided to leave the Givenchy Fashion House.

Other projects

In 2008, Riccardo Tisci oversaw the creation of the 8th issue of A Magazine. The designer also took part in the creation of individual issues for a number of other glossy publications, for example, Dazed & Confused, Visionaire, Muse.

The boundless love for music led the designer to collaborate with famous hip-hop artists Jay-Z and Kanye West. In 2011, he became creative director of their collaborative album Watch The Throne, designing the artwork for the CD and two singles ("H.A.M" and "Otis").

In the same 2011, Tishi collaborated with the world famous brand. For this brand, he created an exclusive sneaker model.

“When I do something, I put all my strength into it.”

Awards and ratings

In 2008, Tisci was awarded the title of best designer by Marie Claire.

Blog by Riccardo Tisci: www.ablogcuratedby.com/riccardotisci

Givenchy official website: www.givenchy.com

Donatella Versace interview with Riccardo Tisci for Interview magazine (June 2011)

D.V.:Let's talk about your latest collection which I find very beautiful and sexy. I would love to wear everything!
R.T.: Bravo! In fact, the collection is very Donatella-esque because it is about a strong woman. I find inspiration in different sources, and one such source is the house of Versace. You know, when I was a little boy, we were very poor. My dad passed away when I was 4 or 5 years old. I grew up with my mother and eight sisters. These are nine incredible women and all a little “a la Donatella Versace”. real, strong women from the South of Italy, women who had sensuality. They had confidence in their bodies and in their femininity.

D.V.:The fact that you have as many as eight sisters, in my opinion, is very good.
R.T.: Quite right. And even if they did not have the financial means to dress fashionably, they were women with a graceful style. The elegance of the South is a very strong elegance and I try to convey that to others. This is sexy elegance, or, to put it another way, less chaste. It was the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s, a special time not only for the fashion house Versace, but also for me, since my sister, who worked in a hairdresser, brought fashion magazines home on Saturdays. This period introduced us to many top models and celebrities, like you and Gianni, as well as things that made me dream. These early impressions had a strong influence on me.

D.V.:The early 90s was a particularly amazing period for fashion because it was the height of allure, and there were no limits on what you could do. But I see that you have not stopped pushing the boundaries, you are always moving forward. This feeling is felt in your collections, which I admire.
R.T.: Thank you!

D.V.:Has your initial passion for those things remained the same, or has it subsided?
R.T.: I have to be honest: the only thing I believe in is my family. For me, family is more than just DNA. I mean people close to me. My mother and my sisters are my energy and inspiration that feed me throughout my life. Fashion is my job. I love it. This is my passion. But the most important thing for me is life. I have always been surrounded by women, and I am very attracted to the world of women, because I love both strength and romanticism at the same time. All this you can see in my style.

D.V.:It is clear from the things that you create that you know the body of a woman. You know how to revalorize it.
R.T.: Imagine all my sisters. Each of them had their own form and lifestyle. So my path to becoming a designer was pretty specific. Even when I came to Givenchy, there were people who supported me, but not everyone loved me. They said: "Why does an Italian create things in the Gothic style?", not taking into account the fact that Italy is the cradle of the Gothic. But they argued: “No, Italians should only do sexy things!” My base is Italian roots. And this is a strong passion for fashion and a passion for sensuality. When I went to London to study at Saint Martins, I got a sense of transgression and goth. And when I went to Paris, I mixed these two directions in myself.

D.V.:In your latest collection, you could observe an improved sexuality.
R.T.: I hate vulgarity. I hate vulgarity even though it attracts me. I love everything that is infringing or vulgar. But, in my opinion, you need a limit, which is always a little surreal. Fashion house Versace creates very sexy things, but never crosses that line of sexuality and vulgarity. Many other brands that have tried to outdo Versace have crossed that line. I think you and I, Donatella, are similar in this. We have this sense of proportion. It makes me proud to be Italian. I am proud of what I do.

D.V.:When I worked with Gianni, it was I who was the person he could trust and say anything. If I didn’t like something, then I honestly spoke about it: “No, no, no! Do something else." Is there such a person on your team?
R.T.: Of course. It is very important. Even though I have a small team. It is very important for a male designer that he listens to some women's opinion. And as I told you, my luck depends on the women around me. On the this moment in my life there are women whom I adore and appreciate, for example, Maria Carla Boscono, and Marina Abramovic. Many people think that during years Karin Roitfeld was my stylist. And this is not true. She was just Maria Carla Boscono to me. Yes, there are some people whose opinion I want to hear first. But it's still my way. Maybe with age I lose a little. It's hard to convey. After all, there are two or three people on my team that I always listen to.

D.V.: Knowing your character, it's hard to believe what you're doing!
R.T.: Yes, that's because I'm from the South of Italy. And I'm proud of it. I develop all projects together with my team. She's small, but she's fantastic. I listen to someone's opinions because they are important to me. I am a Leo by the zodiac sign and it is important for me to stand firmly on my feet. But I also have a softer side. On this side, I am a little boy who has not yet grown up and for whom it is important to listen to others.

D.V.:I would like to note that the transparent shirts you created this year are simply amazing.
R.T.: Donatella, you are definitely a Givenchy woman! I say this because I want the world to know this. You are the epitome of a true Italian woman. There is pure American rock chic, British chic, but Italy has always been the epitome of all that. We have repeatedly tried to make a joint project. I would really like to see you in Givenchy clothes.

D.V.: I would be very happy about it. I have already chosen a few Givenchy items for myself.
R.T.: Which? Tell me!

D.V.:I liked the jacket with the lacquered trim. He has wonderful proportions. Narrow to the knees, without pantyhose - very sexy.
R.T.: Naturally! After you for a long time you create the same things, you have a desire to come up with something new. And this season has been just that. I don't like shock per se, I like shock chic.

D.V.:Americans really love you, but I find that you are not the kind of designer who has an American sensibility. You have more European, Italian sensibility.
R.T.: I am an absolute Italian! And this is a very precise concept. But the United States of America also attracts me. Why? At small child from a poor family in southern Italy had a dream to visit the Big Apple. I don't really like classical music, I like the kind of music that Americans listen to. I love the American ghetto. I love the Bronx. I love hip-hop and R&B, I love electro-latino, latin music and stuff like that.

D.V.:I like to work when the music is playing at full volume.
R.T.: Yes. And I love finding new things. For example, right now I'm listening to Nicki Minaj and Antony and the Johnsons. I also love changing musical directions. I like the conceptual aspect of Anthony Hegarty (lead singer of Antony and the Johnsons) and anything in the style of Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott and Ciara. I love what evokes emotions in me. Because I'm Italian. Marina Abramovic is a close friend of mine, so I like strong, very aggressive political art. She is like a mother who wants to adopt me. People say, "You're dark, you make dark clothes, you probably like The Cure or Diamanda Galas." Yes, I love Diamanda Galas, but I also love Madonna, Beyoncé and Courtney Love. They are all from different worlds. They are all different, but they evoke emotions in me. I am someone who needs emotions, someone who wants to convey them. Otherwise, I would have changed my profession.

D.V.:Clothing evokes emotions in the same way that music does.
R.T.: Quite right. Every now and then she makes my heart beat like I just met my first love.

D.V.:Your latest couture collection made me feel strong emotions. It turned out beautiful, modern and very stylish. It can be seen that she is made great.
R.T.: When I started, everyone said that the era of Haute Couture was coming to an end, and it scared me. More to the point, I was terrorized by this idea. I came from a provincial region of Italy. When I was invited to work at Givenchy, the only thing I thought was: “Wow!” I signed a contract. But I'll be honest and say that I went through all this just because of my mother, to buy a house for her. Then I didn't even think about what I was doing. It could not be Givenchy, but any other company ... I didn’t care, I just didn’t want my mother to live in a nursing home. I have nothing against nursing homes, but my mother, who went through so many trials, who raised nine children ... I could not allow this. So, I started working at Givenchy. And I want to say that the era of Haute Couture is not over at all, it is simply undergoing changes.

D.V.: I agree with you.
R.T.: Couture was the first phase of my career. Couture has changed because, for example, there used to be princesses, they are still there, but they no longer ride horse-drawn carriages, but go to parties, go to resorts, sail on yachts. They all want to be in constant motion. I understood this, and immediately began to create things for such girls. In addition to haute couture, we also create men's and pret-a-porter collections. When you do all this, you want to somehow differentiate directions.

D.V.: It is better to do not so many things, but to make them amazing. Your samurai pieces (from the Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2011 collection) seemed ingenious to me. Rigidity and softness come together without weighing each other down. It is excellent.
R.T.: You can say that in this spring couture collection I showed the romantic side of my nature, because everyone thinks that I am gloomy, like a Rottweiler. I show this romantic side to few people. I can only open myself to people like you Donatella, because we have known each other for 5 or 6 years. I still remember our first meeting with you. You were then with Miuccia Prada at a dinner at the editorial office of Vogue Italia. We stood upstairs and smoked. You introduced yourself and I thought you were a very tough woman. So we started to be friends.

D.V.: I am very happy to see such a talented Italian designer in Paris. And your last show (Autumn-Winter 2011) reminded me of Gianni.
R.T.: You are not the only one telling me this. You know, for most kids, robots or Barbie dolls were an obsession. But my obsession was the fashion house Versace. I was saving money just to buy a Versus T-shirt. I was fixated on it. Today I am still the same fan of Versace and Versus. In fact, the Versace shows were the only shows I attended. I only work in fashion because of the few designers I admire. And this does not mean that I do not like all the others or that I consider them bad designers. I'm just very selective. I love Versace and I love Helmut Lang even though the brand no longer exists.

D.V.: You also dress celebrities. At the Oscars, I saw Cate Blanchett wearing Givenchy Haute Couture. She was the most graceful.
R.T.: Thank you so much. I will tell you that when I started working at Givenchy, there was some kind of confusion. Before me, the post of creative director was held by such geniuses as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. They have contributed to the history of the brand. But when I replaced Julian MacDonald, I could no longer define Givenchy's true style. Everyone associates this brand only with Audrey Hepburn, but there is a whole world on the other side of this perception. I closed all the doors and didn't want to let anyone inside. Only then could I find myself. So in the beginning, I didn't want to dress celebrities. I started to do it later: I dressed one, two ... We dress some stars because they are part of the family. These are the women I admire. And I don't care how famous they are.

D.V.: Now I have to ask this: do you have any new ideas for Givenchy or for your brand? I hope you understand what I mean.
R.T.: I understand what you mean. This question is related to the fashion house Dior. I am truly sorry about what happened to John. And I want to stay out of all this gossip about me and the Dior fashion house. I will say one thing: I am happy to work at Givenchy. Here I feel at home. Givenchy is like my son. It's hard to explain, but it would be very difficult for me to leave.

D.V.: Givenchy is really your baby.
R.T.: Absolutely. I started working with the almost destroyed House, I started from scratch. I did everything very slowly. And we have really achieved a lot. I am happy here. At the moment it is Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci. And hopefully it will continue for a long time.

D.V.:We'll see if this is true!
R.T.: For now, this is the truth. But my truth is this: you never know what will happen tomorrow.