FASHION FEATURE
We explore the power of creation as these creative directors revive luxury brands to capture new markets and changing perspectives of what fashion should be in the 21st century
Creative directors change the landscape of fashion
RICARDO TISCI FOR BURBERRY
Ricardo Tisci is an influencer on his own. Known for exceeding expectations with both vision and sales for every fashion house he leads, Tisci isn’t just popular because of his relations to A-list superstars, but is put on a fashion pedestal mainly because he is a creative genius that can transform his vision into sales. Etched in fashion memory, his Spring ‘11 couture collection for Givenchy, where he chose an all asian cast where he reinterpreted Asian details (such as graceful swans and kimonos) and created gowns that reflected the heights of couture, but he opted to pair it up with Gundam-like heads. Essentially, he made couture cool. When he left Givenchy, everyone was speechless, immediately speculating as to which house he was going to transform next. Soon enough, it was revealed that he was to lead Burberry to a new generation. The brand had an image of classicism, but for a more mature market. So, he revamped it with his first collection by infusing streetwear aesthetics, or at least Ricardo’s genius take on the aesthetic, and ultimately married Burberry’s heritage with his grasp on contemporary trends. His take on logomania pervaded whole looks from clothes to accessories. But his cuts and use of texture was very much a new frontier for Burberry, which was very much welcome for the new image of the luxury brand. And just like magic, Burberry exceeded expectations in terms of sales rising, 4% in just three months, but most especially, Ricardo’s designs have gained notoriety in the mid-teens market in China, proving that Ricardo’s designs are very much in the now.