Riccardo Tisci, the designer behind Yeezy and Hova‘s Watch The Throne cover art and Creative Director of Givenchy, is a colorful character.
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Born in 1974 in Taranto, Italy, he graduated from Central Saint Martin’s in London (same school as Gareth Pugh, Alexander McQueen and M.I.A) in the late 1990s and was the costume designer for Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet tour.
Ricardo joined Givenchy in 2005 and has definitely infused his personality into the fashion house’s clothing.
After the break, more Tisci fun facts!
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Tisci introduced transexual model Lea T when he used her in Givenchy runway shows. Previously Lea, born Leo, was the designer’s personal assistant.
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Tisci grew up in Taranto, Italy, a region of the country with strong beliefs in mermaids. Some of these ideas may be found in Tisci’s ready to wear and haute couture designs for Givenchy.
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Tisci is good friends with supermodel MariaCarla Boscono. In fact, they were friends while he attended school at St. Martins. She often appears in Givenchy shows and ad campaigns.
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Tisci designed the cover art for Watch The Throne’s first single, H.A.M.
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Tisci designed costumes for Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour and also makes customized clothes for the superstar.
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British model Rob Evans gained notoriety after Tisci sent him down the runway in leopard print shorts last summer, sparking the men in prints craze. Above: Evans in Givenchy’s A/W 2011 campaign.
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Tisci, a Catholic, is deeply religious. He has said about his inspiration for his A/W 2011 menswear collection: “Religion is a big part of my DNA and this collection was about my Catholic(ism) and every other religion in a way.”
