Givenchy Spring 2010 - Full Collection

Those of you that are close to me know that I think it's most important to actually see the clothes on a woman and to see it move.  The best way to get that experience is obviously to be at a fashion show, but most of us are not lucky enough to get invites to a show, so luckily, we are in a time where technology allows us to get the experience online. 

Those of you that are close to me also know that I have a love affair with Givenchy since Ricardo Tisci took the helm.  I also know that I've created some confusion because many think that Ricardo is a one note and I usually hate one notes (Christophe Decarnin is almost there), but I don't think I've made my point all that clear and feel the need to step on the soapbox for a second.  I use the word vocabulary to describe that which a house becomes known for.  When creating your own namesake label, your mission within those first collections is to create your vocabulary.  Because this is your job, it is not unheard of for these new designers to have dramatic shifts in their collections from one season to another, as long as there is an underlying current joining the collections together.  I think a perfect example of this tendancy is Christopher Kane.  His collections have had very dramatic shifts from season to season and I think he's now starting to weld all of the pieces together, as seen in his Fall 2010 collection.  This is not always the path a new designer chooses, but it's not looked down upon for a new designer to do this.

When you are taking the helm at a house with a long and storied past, I think the expectations are very different.  Because there is a history that comes with a name such as Givenchy, you are expected to respect that history and draw upon the things that people associate with the name, but also move them into a new direction, so these designers must be very careful in their footing from season to season.  There is also an expectation to move the history forward and to stake your claim in the history of that brand as it moves forward, which is what Ricardo has done at Givenchy.  It's a much slower transformation than what you can expect with a new designer working on his own namesake label, but it's calculated and amazing to watch if done well.  Ok, I'm off my soapbox now!