Givenchy S/S 2016 by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott

[Oxymore]

wwd.com

 

[Oxymore]

PARIS — Riccardo Tisci put his mantra up in lights in 2015, and in capital letters: “I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF LOVE” was the sign at the entrance to two of the biggest fashion parties of 2015 — on Sept. 11 following his quietly sensational New York runway show for Givenchy, and on Sept. 25 in Milan to fete the French house’s new boutique in the Italian fashion capital.

The message continues to flash in Givenchy’s spring 2016 ad campaign. One image shows a group of young, fresh-faced models staring down at the floor-mounted camera in Tisci’s frothy, lingerie-inspired collection accompanied by a short text by the singer Antony Hegarty, now known as Anohni: “I am a child on the river, and love waits downstream: A waterfall to steal my breath, and change my mind,” it reads in his tiny, tortured handwriting.

“He’s a poetic person, and in a few words, he said everything,” Tisci marveled in an interview, unveiling his latest advertising effort exclusively to WWD. It is slated to break in a range of March magazines.

For a designer who sees fashion as an outlet for emotion and Givenchy campaigns as a vessel for provocation and even social change, the spring campaign dovetails with his conviction that messages of love are infectious and impactful.

“Everyone can do something very small, some gesture of love. I’m not saying this will change the world, but the world will be better. I’m a big believer in positive energy, and I’m sure this energy will spread,” he said. “People have given me so much love and so much respect and this has helped me to grow.”

Tisci confessed some people frowned on him, or were at least puzzled, when he first sparked up his Instagram account and immediately started labeling his posts with hashtags including #love and #family.

Perhaps he was just ahead of the curve. To be sure, the spring campaign, shot by Givenchy regulars Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, also exalts Tisci’s sharp instincts for discovering new modeling talents — and for being very faithful to them over time.

Among new faces are Isis Bataglia, Lexi Boling, Leila Goldkuhl, Kris Gottschalk, Imaan Hammam, Issa Lish, Lineisy Montero and Greta Varlese.

Givenchy veterans assembled in another group include Mariacarla Boscono, Natalia Vodianova, Lara Stone, Joan Smalls, Miranda Kerr, Candice Swanepoel, Iselin Steiro and Gemma Ward.

Tisci acknowledged the models caused a stir when they assembled on the streets of lower Manhattan, one of several locations for the sprawling shoot.

“It was a very big production: 27 models. That’s a lot of people,” he said. “But at the same time it was fun because it’s like family. Everyone was happy to be there.”

The designer noted that the expansive, multigenerational, multiracial cast echoed the message of unity and diversity of his spring catwalk, accompanied by music from a variety of religions. The diverse casting of the spring campaign also reflects Tisci’s ambition that Givenchy — which spans everything from elaborate couture gowns to sneakers and backpacks — can outfit a broad range of women from various age groups and lifestyles.

He also noted that the low camera position echoes images of protesters in the Sixties and Seventies, heightening the suggestion of “revolutionary women, powerful women.” The perspective and group means that all campaign images will run as spreads.

Collaborators on the main Givenchy campaign include Giovanni Bianco for art direction, Carine Roitfeld for styling, Orlando Pita for hair, and Lucia Pieroni for makeup.

BTS


wwd.com

 

[guimon]

Leela is slaying my life. She's the star of the campaign/that photo.
Can't wait to see more pictures!

 

[testinofan]

mmmm los very Alexander Wang to me

 

[gazebo]

The BTS photos are much better and more interesting than the actual ad.

 

[simon]

Sorry mods. There was a minute earlier thread posted already. Can someone delete this?

 

[Nepenthes]

This is brilliant! Everyone looks amazing and I'm so happy to see Leila; she's such a star!

 

[Mody]

Love it Wish there would be more of each girl in the front Leela is amazing Hope to see Imman

 

[GivenchyHomme]

It's good. One of their best campaigns since Fall 2013. I can't wait to see the other shots, especially with the veterans.

 

[simon]

Leila just knows how to model. When you look at her, it is almost like she is pulling you in.

Overall, I really like that shot.

 

[MON]

Stunning! I love it! Every girl is in her own league and is killing it! Wow.

I can't wait to see the veterans! Gemma, Lara, Natalia, Joan, Mariacarla.. all in one photo. I'm dying already!

Although, I wish the entire campaign would be cohesive! Weren't the "veterans" shot in the streets? I hope everything looks like it's all from the same campaign and not the usual 2 campaigns merged into 1.

 

[Scotty]

I just don't care about this bunch. show us the veterans! Hammam and Issa look nice though.

 

[Riseup]

Fantastic, finally a simple yet fresh concept from Tisci, can't wait to see the full campaign.

 

[Melancholybaby]

instagram/riccardotisci17

 

[Style Savvy]

Leila is truly the star of the first shot. Can't wait to see the rest.

 

[MON]

I laughed when I saw how distant Candice's shot was... She's barely recognizable.

But here I am losing hope of the chance that the campaign would be cohesive. The backdrop on the first shot looks beautiful.. while the men's shot looks like a Geraldine Saglio x Lachlan Bailey x New York feature for Vogue Paris' Miss Vogue.

 

[Nomar]

The casting for me is the biggest let down and I think some of the choices are incredibly questionable.....

 

[Street_a_Licious]

it's a nice start! and look! no celebrities!

 

[Vitamine W]

Erhm, Lexi looks like a man with with a wig.

 

[dior_couture1245]

So tired of all this Givenchy garbage. Tisci's GANG, FAMILY, LOVE, blah, blah, blah. Truth of the matter is his clothes and vision are dated and cheesy at this point.