Riccardo Tisci
About
Riccardo Tisci (b. 1974 or 1975) is an Italian fashion designer. He graduated from London's Central Saint Martins Academy, and in 2005 was named creative director for Givenchy womenswear, haute couture and in May 2008 he was named as menswear and accesories designer of the Givenchy men's division.
Tisci was born in Taranto, Italy. The city of Taranto is said to be mythologically tied with mermaids and marines, which often influences Tisci in his collections for both Givenchy ready-to-wear and haute couture.
After graduating from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1999, Tisci worked for a succession of companies such as Puma and Coccapani before signing a three-year contract with Ruffo Research, which launched the careers of a plethora of fashion designers, such as Sophia Kokosalaki.
The Look
His apparent fascination with gothic touches (dark, languid dresses on sickly models for fall couture) and space-age minimalism (one ready-to-wear show featured white-clad models drifting aimlessly around a sterile-white sphere) have drawn new attention to the Givenchy brand. Reviews and output so far have been mixed and inconsistent, but many, including influential fashion critics (such as Cathy Horyn of the New York Times and Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune) have homed in on Tisci's conceptual leanings, as well as his future potential for revitalizing the Givenchy brand and infusing it with his precision and imagination.