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He got a man as macho as Kanye West to wear a skirt, so it is fair to say Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci is undoubtedly the man of the fashion moment?

When it comes to A-list celebrities in the hip-hop space, his designs can be seen on rappers like Kanye, Big Sean and Drake, while the ladies of the space like Ciara and of course Rihanna, swear by his dark grunge-inspired designs.

PHOTOS: Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci Steps In Front Of The Camera For Self Service Magazine 

Tisci hosted one of the most acclaimed fashion shows of the season that is said to have left some in tears, and was chosen to fill a much coveted seat as a co-host at the Costume Institute Benefit to open the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s landmark show “Punk: Chaos to Couture” with honored guest Beyonce.

But his beginnings were hardly as glamorous.

PHOTOS: RED CARPET RECAP: Beyonce Stuns With Blue In Givenchy At The Met Ball

In lieu of Tisci’s aforementioned accomplishments, and his sheer awesomeness, New York Times Fashion Magazine sat down with the designer to learn more about his aesthetic selections, his upbringing, and more important than the previous, what changes he hopes to elicit through his designs. Check out some excerpts from the interview below.

Oh his upbringing:

“My story is intense and if I was born again I would ask God to give me the same story. My father wanted a boy. And then he died when I was young. I went through suffering but it informed both the head and the heart, making me who I am. We had no money and I grew up amongst these women: they are my greatest inspiration and my biggest fans.”

On his teenage years coming to terms with his own creativity in the strong macho culture of Italy:

“I grew my hair long and did my face white. My mother was clever: she never stopped me. I looked like a real freak but I was reading a lot, and that, too, made me dream. It was London and New York I dreamt about.”

On criticism by his native country:

“I have been killed so many times in my career for saying things. When I touch on sex and religion — I love sex, and I pray every night — that makes me a bad and a dangerous person in some eyes. But I went for it. I was ready to be criticized. I want to break down the legend of Italian men being macho, you know, the whole thing: Italian women and their large breasts, the football and the pizza, the women always dominated by the men.”

On making affordable clothes in each collection:

“I make sure that in every collection there is stuff for kids with less money. They might have to save up but it is reachable. My sisters still work in factories, and why shouldn’t normal people have the chance to dream, to wear the Givenchy label? I want my sister, my nephew, my niece to be able to go to a Givenchy store and buy something, not just a princess, you know?”

Riccardo has an inspiring story. Head over to New York Times Blog to read the entire interview.