Riccardo Tisci (; born 1974) is an Italian
fashion design
Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...
er.
He studied in Italy at the
Design Istituto d’Arte Applicata in
Cantù
Cantù (; Brianzöö: ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Como, located at the center of the Brianza zone in Lombardy. It is the second largest city in Brianza.
History
The name could stem from that of the Canturigi, a population of I ...
until the age of 17, and then graduated from London's
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1999.
In 2005, Tisci was creative director for
Givenchy women's
haute couture
(; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design. The term ''haute couture'' generally refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the ...
and
ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear (RTW)also called ''prêt-à-porter'', or off-the-rack or off-the-peg in casual useis the term for garments sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a partic ...
lines. In May 2008, he was additionally menswear and accessories designer of the Givenchy men's division. In March 2018, he was appointed chief creative officer of
Burberry
Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry and headquartered in London, England. It designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats, leather accessories, and footwear. It is l ...
, succeeding
Christopher Bailey.
Early life and education
Tisci was born in
Taranto
Taranto (; ; previously called Tarent in English) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Taranto, serving as an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base.
Founded by Spartans ...
and raised in
Como
Como (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...
. He graduated from the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1999.
Career
Early beginnings
Upon graduation, Tisci worked for companies including
Puma, Antonio Berardi and Coccapani before signing a three-year contract with Ruffo Research, a company that has helped launch the careers of several fashion designers, including
Sophia Kokosalaki.
Upon the expiration of his contract in July 2004, Tisci spent time living in India, where he began to work on his own collection. In September 2004, during
Milan Fashion Week
Milan Fashion Week () is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. Upcoming autumn/winter fashions are showcased in February/March of each year, and upcoming spring/summer fashions are showcased in September/October of each year ...
in
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, Tisci debuted his first Riccardo Tisci Collection for Fall 2005/2006 in an off-calendar show.
Givenchy, 2005–2017
In February 2005, Tisci was appointed as the creative director of the haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories lines for Givenchy. Brought to Givenchy by
LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French multinational holding company and conglomerate that specializes in luxury goods and has its headquarters in Paris, France. The company was formed in 1987 through the ...
chief operating officer Antonio Belloni and Givenchy chief executive officer
Marco Gobbetti, Gobbetti called Tisci a "perfect fit for us... He
iscihas an elegance that is very modern, very contemporary and romantic at the same time".
Tisci presented his first Givenchy haute-couture collection in July 2005 during
Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week (, commonly ) is a series of designer presentations held semi-annually in Paris, France, with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Pa ...
in Paris.
Tisci, under Givenchy, designed the costumes for singer
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
's ''
Sticky & Sweet Tour'' in 2008, following
Jean Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 June 1952) is a French haute couture and Ready-to-wear, prêt-à-porter fashion designer.
He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs in ...
and
Dolce & Gabbana. In 2009, for the encore of the tour he designed another costume for the tour's opening song "
Candy Shop".
In February 2017, Tisci stepped down as creative director of Givenchy, "I now wish to focus on my personal interests and passions." Givenchy's turnover had increased six-fold during Tisci's twelve-year tenure.
Burberry, 2018–2022
In 2018, Tisci was named by Burberry to replace
Christopher Bailey as the brand's chief creative officer. This was followed by a limited-time collaboration with
Vivienne Westwood for the Winter 2018 collection.
Tisci's vision while at Burberry was to create pieces that walk the line between tradition and modernity with a darkly gothic charm.
His tenure lasted through to September 2022, when it was announced that Tisci would be replaced by English designer
Daniel Lee.
Style
Unlike the designers before him who succeeded
Hubert Givenchy himself, Tisci has had particular success in haute couture, where he has asserted "When I arrived we had five customers. Now we have 29".
Tisci's runway presentations are highly stylized in terms of architecture and space. Tisci says of this: "My way of showing is very melancholic... I love romanticism and sensuality".
For the Givenchy Fall–Winter 2010 collection, he included a new model,
Lea T, a transgender woman from Brazil, his longtime personal assistant.
Collaborations
Throughout his career, Tisci's numerous connections and relationships have enabled him to collaborate with well-known artists on various projects:
* 2008 – invited to curate the issue 8 of A-Anna Magazine
* 2010 – celebrated the end of the exhibit ''The artist is present'' at a dinner for
Marina Abramović
Marina Abramović ( sr-Cyrl, Марина Абрамовић, ; born November 30, 1946) is a Serbian conceptual and performance artist. Her work explores body art, endurance art, the relationship between the performer and audience, the limit ...
; afterwards, she was chosen to appear in a campaign for Spring–Summer 2013 of Givenchy
* 2011 – guest-edited
Visionaire's RELIGION issue
* 2011 – collaborated with the perfumer
Francois Demachy to make the perfume
Le Dahlia Noir
* 2011 –designed the cover of the collaborative album ''
Watch the Throne'' by
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
and
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
* 2011 – curated issue #8 of ''A Magazine'', in which he featured artwork by
Ray Caesar as a source of his creative inspiration
* 2013 – dressed the singer
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
for her ''
Diamonds World Tour''
* 2014 – collaborated with
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
and
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
for the ''
On the Run Tour''
* 2014 – collaborated with
Nike to create a series of Air Force 1 shoes
* 2016 – launched a thirty-piece sportswear collaboration with
Nike called NikeLab x RT: Training Redefined, aimed at Olympic athletes for the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
as everyday gym users
* 2016 – collaborated with virtual pop idol
Hatsune Miku for an article in ''
Vogue'' magazine in the lead up to the 2016
Met Gala
The Met Gala, formally called the Costume Institute Benefit, is the annual haute couture fundraising festival held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan. The Met Gala was and still is popularly rega ...
* 2018 – collaborated with NikeLab again, creating a fictional basketball team's apparel and footwear
In addition to his position at Givenchy, Tisci has collaborated with the choreographers
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Damien Jalet on the costume design of the orchestral ballet ''
Boléro
''Boléro'' is a 1928 work for large orchestra by French composer Maurice Ravel. It is one of Ravel's most famous compositions. It was also one of his last completed works before illness diminished his ability to write music.
Composition
T ...
'' by
Maurice Ravel
Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
at the
Opéra Garnier in Paris.
Italian model
Mariacarla Boscono often appears in his runway shows and ad campaigns, owing possibly to the fact that Tisci has had a friendship with her since before his days at Givenchy.
Tisci also collaborated with American rappers
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
and
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
to create the cover for ''
Watch the Throne'' 2011 album, as well as the covers for singles "
H•A•M" and "
Otis". He collaborated again with West for his label
GOOD Music
GOOD Music (often stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide music distribution, distributi ...
on the 2012 album ''
Cruel Summer''.
Personal life
Tisci is openly gay. In 2025, Tisci was sued for alleged
sexual assault
Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
in New York.
References
External links
*
A MAGAZINE curated by Riccardo TisciA BLOG curated by Riccardo Tisci
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tisci, Riccardo
Living people
1974 births
21st-century Italian male artists
Alumni of Central Saint Martins
Burberry people
Fashion designers from Milan
Haute couture
Italian expatriates in England
Italian expatriates in India
LVMH people
Menswear designers
People from Como
People from Taranto
Puma (brand)
Shoe designers