On September 11th, the French house of haute couture Givenchy made a highly publicised voyage from Paris to New York City, resulting in one of the most memorable shows of New York Fashion Week. To celebrate the opening of Givenchy’s New York flagship store, creative director Riccardo Tisci’s 10th anniversary with the brand, and the 14th anniversary of 9/11, Tisci invited over 1,000 people to Pier 26 at Hudson River Park for an outdoor fashion show which featured a total of 89 monochrome looks from Spring 2016 Women's Ready to Wear.
While the sun set on over the Hudson River and guests arrived, those in attendance experienced a live performance produced by influential artist Marina Abromavich. The powerful performance combined with a stunning venue next to the new World Trade Center made for an iconic fashion show amidst a packed schedule.
In an exclusive interview with CNN.com, Tisci explains his love and fascination with America:
“I'm obsessed with music and art, so I came to New York [when I was 19] because I wanted to discover. It was the Nineties -- club scene, [night club] Body & Soul, house, hip-hop. Rock was ending, and we were starting hip-hop and R'n'B ... I remember when I arrived, it was the first time I saw in the club a machine double-checking for arms and stuff. I got inside and this mixed culture of all people all dressing very cool, normal, chilled. And the music was insane. And I remember I was flying ...
One big memory of New York was the freedom. The fact that you could say, you could dress, you could share with anybody whatever you wanted. When I arrived at the airport, I always had in my head, "I'm going to live in this country one day."
On the American Dream, a major theme in his designs:
“For me, [these were] the two big things: freedom of expression and the fact that I could come here and change my life and express myself ... In Italy you have so many cases of people from nothing who have come to America and become big things -- Sophia Loren, Federico Fellini. People find a way to express themselves in America. So that was my American Dream.”
Tisci has been accredited for some masterful fashion moves over the past decade: dressing Madonna, Rihanna, Ciara, Erykah Badu (the list seems endless), designing Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s wedding apparel, incorporating Disney characters into his hugely popular ready-to-wear lines, all while bringing haute couture to street wear and vice versa. He has become a legendary designer with a celebrity circle of friends he consistently features in his iconic campaigns.
The guest list could rival any red carpet, and the turnout did not disappoint. Below are the friends of Tisci and lovers of Givenchy who came from all over the world to see the Spring/Summer 2016 collection take life on American soil.
Irina Shayk at Givenchy in New York City
Julia Roberts arrives to Givenchy in New York City
Ciara at Givenchy in New York City
Eryka Badhu arrives in style to the Ready to Wear Spring 2016 presentation for Givenchy
Amanda Seyfried in Givenchy
Kim and Kanye West arrive fashionably late to Givenchy
Riccardo takes a final bow after presenting for the 10th year at the helm of Givenchy