Who is Riccardo Tisci?
Riccardo Tisci created a jaw-dropping debut of his first collection for Burberry in the spring/summer line, but how did he get there?
Image Courtesy: High Snobiety
Background
Tisci was born and grew up in Taranto, Italy along with his eight sisters. At the age of 17, he left to attend world-renowned Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design. This prestigious college has “… helped shape many fashion icons including Stella McCartney, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, and Zac Posen.” He then moved back to his homeland after graduating in 1999 to work for brands such as “Antonio Berardi, Coccapani, Puma and Ruffo Research.” Tisci then created his own label in September 2004 and showed his “first line in Milan for the autumn/winter 2005-06 season.” Not long after, Tisci was named Creative Director of Givenchy in February of 2005. Throughout his time as creative director of Givenchy, he helped the brand’s sales tremendously “selling to 72 stores worldwide by the time he left Givenchy in 2017”. Tisci was “announced to be the new creative director for Burberry on March 12, 2018 after the departure of Christopher Bailey in October of 2017.”
Riccardo Tisci and Burberry
Riccardo Tisci is known for his dark but sensual aesthetic while Burberry is a luxury brand focusing on British Heritage. Just this past year, Tisci has had major changes to Burberry, including revealing the latest logo and monogram which, “… which uses founder, Thomas Burberry’s, initials “TB” interlocked in white and orange over a honey background on Instagram.” Burberry has already been known as an environmentally friendly company, however, Tisci is taking it to the next level by “banning all fur products.” After Tisci’s spring/summer 2019 collection and most recently his autumn/winter 2019-20 collection, it is evident that Tisci is focusing on British heritage and individuality. Inspired by his time attending Central Saint Martin’s College in the 90s, Tisci started the show with the children’s wear, then evening wear, and finished with British street wear. Vogue says half of the attendees were in a dark, industrial-looking setup with dozens of children in track suits climbing and hanging out during the show while the other half of attendees observed the show in a wood-clad auditorium with cream-cushioned seats looking similar to a private cinema.
Riccardo Tisci is always at the cutting edge of fashion. He uses his talents to send messages and make statements while also creating edgy yet still classy pieces. His talents brought major success for Givenchy, and time will only tell the greatness he will bring to Burberry.
What Next for Burberry?
Riccardo Tisci’s love for London, the place that fueled his creativity and what led to his early success, is inspiring him for his plans with Burberry in the future. He says, “I want to sustain the Burberry heritage, but I also want to go with the times, with modernity.” Burberry’s past collections are rooted with refinement and a British individuality. Tisci, being an Italian designer, will give Burberry a fresh perspective while also keeping the British history he fell in love with early in his career. “I wanted to celebrate the amazing brain of England, and people like Vivienne and Peter have made this country what it is today- the beauty, the avant-garde, the real individualism Tisci explains. Tisci also says, “I’m trying to find again the freedom of expression of the young generation.” Tisci believes that the youth of England has lost their individualism and he wants to inspire them to reclaim it. “For me, Britishness is an attitude, a strength, a confidence and a freedom,” explains Tisci, and this is what he plans to express in his upcoming collections for Burberry.
Strike Out,
Writer: Natalie Pearson
Editor: Savannah Tindall
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