Spring Couture 2011: Givenchy

Jan 31, 2011
LadyLUX • Fashion

Last summer, Givenchy couturier Riccardo Tisci said it would be the end to the runway for the French house’s couture collections. Once again, he presented Spring 2011 Couture in the 18th-century Place Vendome in Paris on Jan. 25.

The collection, which is inspired by Japanese items, is just as awe-inspiring as his laced-out line for Fall 2010 Couture. Shades of ivory and champagne still dominated his color palette; however, this time there was a touch of color when the models turned around.

Buds of pink, purple, lime green and yellow popped out when models flashed their backs. Never before has shooting the front and back of a look been so important. Even the closing shots were done with the models’ back to the crowd and then facing front.

Kazuo Ohno, a Japanese dancer that sensationalized Butoh (a Japanese dance), served as a muse for Tisici’s Spring collection. The dancer, who passed away in June, was known to dance in colorful frocks, complete with face paint and dyed hair. Tisci attended a tribute to the late performer and was deeply moved. He told Style.com’s Tim Blanks that the color of the dried flowers influenced the palette.

Besides Ohno, Tisci said other aspects of Japanese culture played a role in the avant-garde collection. Robots, he said, inspired the Philip Treacy hats. The large plastic ornaments resembled a futuristic set of antlers adorning the models.