Givenchy Haute Couture S/S 2007

After one look at those Japanese prints and origami pleats, I was ready to declare the Dior show the couture show of the season. And then this - the Givenchy HC S/S 2007 show by Ricardo Tisci.

With a sinister, gothic undertone throughout, Tisci indisputably blew the candles out on Galliano’s candy coloured parade. Categorically modern, yet profoundly rich in hand, the collection established an arresting conflict between architectural structure - very literally - and romantic frou. Tisci worked primarily in a somber palette accented only by citric yellow, but the results were far from boring. The unparalleled detailing - from athletic-inspired ribbing to concave-formed hats to his signature roping - created this haunting contemporary hybrid that make ones of the strongest arguments for couture’s relevance in recent years. Oh, and add to that this idea that couture doesn’t mean looking like a frothy, cherry-filled pastry.