Fall 2012 Haute Couture: Givenchy's Gypsy Queens

With models passing by so quickly in runway shows, it can be hard to fully appreciate the work that goes into some outfits. Tisci’s approach to couture focusses on subtle details some of which only the wearer will be aware of such as a virtuoso embroidery concealed within a sleeve, the inside of a coat as beautifully crafted as the outside, therefore being able to spend longer examining the clothes is a must!

For this new collection, Tisci found inspiration in the gypsies of Southern Italy and Hubert de Givenchy’s column dress, famously worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany, unveiling a luxurious collection that married the opulence of bohemian attire with the sharp clean lines of the 1960s.

The collection was a master-class in craftsmanship with braided leather creating and laser-cut motifs in heat bonded leather silk crepe creating unusual 3-D effects.

Standing out was a black velvet dress with a large embroidered belt and a tight bodice made of thin leather fringes. Its long sleeves were embellished with two rows of leather fringes and carried shoulder pads in braided leather.

A brown dress with short kimono sleeves used fine nappa leather braided in chevrons on the clean-cut round-necked bodice finishing it by knotted leather patterns and tassels at the waist over an ankle-length suede skirt slit to the thigh; a a silk satin organza jacket poncho covered with beaded fringes hand-painted in a degrade from beige to black was worn with black beaded harem pants in silk organza.

As befits a winter collection, fur was also present in several outfits, including a stunning bareback caramel dress whose bodice was made of plucked mink and skirt of wool crepe. Concealed under its short kimono sleeves was a laser-cut motif in heat-bonded leather silk crepe that was repeated in a wide panel down the back of the wool crepe skirt.