Givenchy AW13

"Women must step forward and start to forge a new way forward for our species and for all of nature. If there is to be a future on earth that includes us (men), it will be feminine." Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons’ note on the subject of Future Feminism left on our seats was a fitting sentiment to have in mind as we contemplated Riccardo Tisci's collection for Givenchy. It was a brilliant call to arms, compounded by Hegarty's haunting live performance of some of his greatest hits. Tisci's collection was feminine. But that femininity came with a raw edge and an emboldened strength. It was nostalgic without being saccharine as well as being tough when it needed to be. You feel that those nuanced juxtapositions reside in the spirits of the sort of women that both Tisci and Hegarty love and respect.

"I went in to my own archive room at Givenchy by accident. There were things I did eight years ago that I wanted to revisit and so we had fun mixing and matching everything. It's the most fun collection I've done," explained Tisci backstage, after being greeted by swooning show goers. The references to Tisci's own back catalogue were evident – the plaids, the baroque swirls, the sweatshirts paired with sheer skirts, the witty prints – but what was impressive was the way Tisci collaged his way through his archives with a freeform gypsy spirit. Punk romantic.  Masculine-feminine. Sportswear shapes versus ruffled tiers. Pop Bambi mixed with classical paintings. Perfecto jackets sculpted into waist accouterments, rendered in couture fabrics, something that was new for Tisci. There’s another contrast, the old and the new. To take pleasure in your own archives is the mark of an assured designer with well-established codes.

As Hegarty's piano playing swelled to a fortissimo crescendo for the finale, it was hard not to run with that aforementioned sentiment. Can we females forge a new way forward with this Givenchy collection please?  

www.givenchy.com

Hair: Orlando Pita

Makeup: Pat McGrath

Models pictured: Fei Fei Sun-@FeiFeiSunSun, Karmen Pedaru-@kpedaru, Magdalena Frackowiak-@realmagdalena, Isabeli Fontana-@IsabeliFontana1, Magda Laguinge-@MagdaLaguinge, Barbara Fialho-@FialhoBarbara, Zuzanna Bijoch-@BijochZuzanna, Bianca Balti-@BianchinaBalti, Suvi Koponen- @SuviKoponen, Daria Strokous-@DariaStrokous, Alexandra Martynova-@AlexandraMartyn, Julia Nobis-@JuliaNobis1