For male fans of Tisci’s womenswear, the day’s been a long time coming, but finally his vision is now available for those with an XY chromosome rather than an XX. 

Presented as part of the spring/summer 2009 menswear in Paris last week, the debut menswear collection was capsule in both presentation and in effect: a short, sharp and concise shock to the brain, and a jump start to the senses. In a season of blazers and often dishevelled luxury - what’s modern about clothes that look lived-in already? - it is two collections that stood out as most relevant and progressive: Raf Simons (a man so perceptive ‘artist’ is a more accurate term than ‘designer’) and Tisci’s debut for Givenchy homme, which mixed sportswear codes with a rocksteady hand to result in... well, hard to say exactly what, such is the freshness of it. 
“The collection is structured around the figure of the self-assured man,” Tisci explains. “I have taken my inspiration from my many travels through South America: my clothes bear the imprint of the sense of pride, bearing and attitude distinctive to Latin men.”

The designer’s travels through Argentina, Brazil and Cuba formed the inspiration, with Riccardo explaining he was astonished to see “boys confident enough in their appearance and their sexuality to wear a broderie anglaise shirt and their hair in a high ponytail while remaining the epitome of virility.”

Though not everyone was entirely bowled over by the proposal, in a few season’s time Givenchy homme will undoubtedly grow from a potent seed to be a creative, concentrated force. 

“I am not looking to dress men as women,” Tisci continues, “but rather offer them a viable wardrobe that serves them equally well in any situation: classic suits that seem to have come straight from the atelier of a traditional Neapolitan tailor, as well as T-shirts and leather trousers for the weekend.” A wardrobe for men “whose beauty has a hint of menace”.

Excitingly, the wardrobe is progressive enough to pick up on recent ideas in his womenswear, namely a shirt with a graduated, fade-out dye, and a scarf pierced with dozens of metal rings. It proves menswear and womenswear can have a dialogue and a certain synchronicity without ever compromising each other’s integrity.

The only flaw in the emotive story is why on earth it took Givenchy so long to appoint the Italian in the position in the first place, having done such an inspiring job with the womenswear since 2005. The next step must be to give him a key role within the creative direction of Parfums Givenchy, currently offering a total disconnect from the bold, radical elegance of Tisci’s the ready-to-wear, particularly under the new ‘Play’ fragrance and it’s ambassador Justin Timberlake. If the idea of perfume is to capitalise on a brand’s couture cachet and use that to make money at regional perfume counters, then what is going on here? 

Perfume and ready-to-wear divisions can exist as one: look at what Hedi Slimane did for mens’ fragrances at Dior. Beyond the premium eaux de colognes, even mass produced scents such as the iris-heavy, Dior Homme hit the creative spot, with Slimane’s inimitable eye building a cohesive vision both money-making and intellectually satisfying, right down to the packaging and ad campaigns - something they have maintained since his departure, with the new 'Dior Homme Sport' building on Slimane's aesthetics.

Still, with Tisci becoming more synonymous with the house of Givenchy every day, we can presume it is a step that is bound to happen eventually. For now, the clothes.
With Saint Laurent HQ on the same street - avenue Georges V - and the original Balenciaga boutique opposite both, a revolution is taking place. The most revolutionary thing about the revolution? It’s happening within the existing frameworks of hallowed French houses.  

DMD

www.givenchy.com