Givenchy will be taking its spring 2016 womenswear show to New York to fête the opening of its new store on Madison Avenue. The store signals a return to New York for Givenchy, who haven’t been a presence in the city since 2006. For the Spring collection, Marina Abramovic, a long time friend and collaborator of creative director Riccardo Tisci, will be undertaking the art direction. Abramovic has been a performance artist for years, recently staging “The Artist is Present” at the MoMA, and contributing to Visionaire 60 Religion, created in collaboration with Tisci and Givenchy.
Tisci has promised a show about love. Never one to shy away from the romantic, several of his past collections have revolved around such a theme. His Fall 2015 collection is a perfect example, touching on the gothic side of romantic. Rich, dark colors like crimson and deep blue in brocade prints and heavy velvet gave mood to corsets and coats, and the fluid dresses dripping with crystals, the sumptuous fur jackets and the latex mid-calve boots only heightened the gothic atmosphere. The model’s faces were adorned with heavy jewelry, a cue taken from Mexican street gangs, which completed the look. The set was comprised of different discarded electronics, like old computers and video games, stacked on top of one another. Guests sat on mismatched chairs lining a winding, maze-like runway. If Fall was gothic digital romance, Spring, with its art direction from Abramovic, can only promise a spellbinding show. The Spring/Summer 2016 women’s presentation from Givenchy will take place on September 11.
