Riccardo Tisci fused Hubert de Givenchy's clean-lined '60s silhouettes with an eclectic, bohemian gypsy vibe when he created his Fall 2012 Couture collection for Givenchy. The 10-look offering is as much a "collision of contradiction," as the house called it, as it is a study in how to take luxurious materials out of their own comfort zones. Nappa leather, for example, was cut into a fringe that got bonded back together to form the bodice and sleeves of one dress. The same fringe was also used to create a floor-length cape. When they were done cutting leather into strips, workers in Tisci's atelier turned their attention to creating a sort of mink lace — pieces of the fur were shaved away to allow for beadwork to shine through, then formed into coats with short kimono sleeves. Another cape spun from a red-and-black beaded fringe only displays its intricate pattern when it stands still. And that's where the contradiction in this collection is at play: the dresses that rely on movement and color to make statements blend perfectly well with beige wool column dresses that look forceful and powerful when they stand completely still.
