AnOther's inaugural fashion equation focuses on Riccardo Tisci's inspiration and references in his Givenchy collection, including 1950s pin-up Bettie Page, bomber jackets and sleek black panther.
AnOther’s inaugural fashion equation focuses on the key inspirations in Riccardo Tisci’s Givenchy A/W11 collection – 1950s pin-up Betty Page, bomber jackets and a sleek black panther.
The first question that most designers are asked after their show is what inspired them. These references play a vital role in the journey of a fashion collection: for the designer, they work as a starting point and can inform looks, details and the overall narrative. After the show, the reference points become a visual tool for the journalist, allowing them to decode and make sense of the collection they have just witnessed, usually forming the crux of their reviews. Whereas some designers are very happy to list their varying inspirations, others prefer to let the work ‘speak for itself’. Yet it is the way that a designer handles their references that is so intriguing. Whereas some are very literal, others are more abstract, hardly bearing any relation to the final designs. Some select complementary sources, others choose to meld opposites. In this column, the format of the conventional mathematical equation is used by AnOther to unpack the varying inspirations and references that come to mind from the season's key collections.
The standout Givenchy show opened with the soundtrack of a panther roar, and the cat references continued throughout – cat eye-shaped sunglasses, fur caps with pointy feline ears and a graphic panther print appearing on jumpers, shirts and skirts. Bettie Page, the beautiful 50s pin-up who features in the latest issue of Another Man, also appeared in Tisci’s prints, framed by a garland of flowers. When the black-haired, blue-eyed beauty starred in Playboy as Miss January 1955, founder Hugh Hefner commented, “she was a remarkable lady, an iconic figure in pop culture who influenced sexuality, taste in fashion, someone who had a tremendous impact on our society.” The bomber jacket, a garment originally designed for pilots, featured heavily throughout the 43-piece collection. Of course, the functional and casual garments became luxe in Tisci’s hands, presented in black velvet, silk, fur, and S&M leather and PVC.
The next Fashion Equation will be published in two weeks.
Research assistance by Yana Sheptovetskaya
Laura Bradley is the Commissioning Editor of AnOther and published her first series of Fashion Equations in May 2008. Tom Baxter is an illustrator currently living and working in London.
