Riccardo Tisci was relatively unknown, and just 30, when he was recruited by then Givenchy CEO, Marco Gobbetti twelve-years back. Tisci quit Givenchy and is likely to join Versace. Post retirement of Hubert de Givenchy in 1995, Galliano, McQueen and Julien McDonald had brief stints at Givenchy but none won much acclaim. It was Tisci who brought stability and energy to Givenchy, 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 menswear three years later, and helped ignite the streetwear trend with his T-shirts printed with snarling Rottweilers or big stars, among his fetish motifs.
LVMH confirmed Riccardo Tisci’s exit. 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.”
Riccardo Tisci’s last collections were fall 2017 menswear and spring 2017couture, which were paraded together at the National Library of France in Paris on Jan. 20. Givenchy’s ateliers are also working on some of Tisci’s final designs 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. Riccardo Tisci lured in horde of celebrities to Givenchy and the label became very popular on red-carpets.
Hedi Slimane and Alber Elbaz are rumoured to take the place vacated by Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy.