These Lips Might Sink Ships...: Givenchy

As his work tends to be, Riccardo Tisci's latest collection for Givenchy was more of an assemblage of ideas than a linear narrative. In his case, this is not problematic, but rather intellectually stimulating. You're meant to think about the ideas and how they may relate, instead of having a story spoon-fed to you. Rather undeniably it was sexy and strong, but it was not straightforward. There was wonderful bits of playfulness and humor mixed in. A panther motif appealed to the darker, more powerful senses, looking especially desirable in inventively cut, partially sheer skirts. In contrast was the orchid prints that were delicate in comparison. Then came the pinup queen, Bettie Page and Baroque madness that resembled one of the late Gianni Versace's trademarks. The Page prints carried a camp along with the sexiness, while the Baroque prints were decidedly playful in their obtrusiveness. A vast array of fabric including velvet, fur, leather, and PVC contributed to the wonderfully mixed nature of the collection. Varsity jackets (the most desirable in PVC) took place alongside ruffled skirts in what is a far cry from any high school cheerleader known to man. I hate to make that connection, but there was an element of sport, no matter how subverted it was. This was perhaps most visible in the form of baseball cap-like hats, complete with ears. What I found most thrilling about the collection was the silhouette. The sheer skirt underneath a solid skirt absolutely blew my mind. That seems rather slight to cause such a stir, but it looks amazing and is assertively modern, revealing the leg in an highly inventive way. The latter parts of the collection were a Baroque free-for-all, piecing it all together, with Karen Elson closing the show in a sweatshirt with printed sleeves and a sheer midsection, revealing a punchy black bra. This finale piece ultimately reflected what I believe to be Tisci's vision of a complex woman. She is delicate and ferocious and painfully sexy, with a tongue-in-cheek sense of human. She can be anything and everything.

Alyona Subbotina