Under Tisci, Givenchy has been reborn, shaking off its reputation as the place where even designers of evident talent - John Galliano and Alexander McQueen - struggled to impose a style and vision.

“Gothic Latino,”cracked Tisci when asked about his inspiration post show, adding that a trip to Venezuela ignited many of the ideas.

Great fashion is often an unlikely synthesis of far distant ideas, [as was the case in] the way that Riccardo fused the frills, ruffles and strict lace of a Musketeer onto slick short, artfully cut and coolly asymmetric jackets, worn over Tisci's signature cigarette pants.

Poised yet punchy, the collection had lots of ladylike looks but with street credibility. They are high-end clothes but ideal for multi-tasking - one could wear them anywhere from a Basel art opening or Rolling Stones concert to a design presentation, or even mass.

He opened with some sensationally slick pencil thin pant suits jazzed up with loads of gold, religious chains, and following with ruffled blouses, ten-pen shaped dresses and some tough chic coats ideal for a style inquisition to banish the banal to hell. Plus his shoes - everything from Velcro straps warrior woman booties in patent leather to studded, shiny gold wedges was excellent.

Riccardo's is a strict vision, a demanding silhouette, not for the less than lithe, and not for everyone. But his ability to balance femininity with certain cool grandeur marks him as a great designer, and this was his coolest collection to date.

photos courtesy of Fashion Wire Daily

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