Givenchy

At the house of Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci has ensconced himself as a designer of dark sharpness and romance. His Spring 2010 Couture seemed to be an extension of the ready-to-wear collection, which placed an emphasis on the precise architecture of the clothing whilst still maintaining ease and romance.

Beginning with a sharp tuxedo jacket look, Tisci then moved to texture with fur tops and feathered shorts. In a natural progression of black and white to bold color, next were similar sharp suits, but with updated psychedilic prints like those of fall, now in crisp blue and emerald. The last gown could have been shown on its own, a marvelous gradient gown of layered tulle from lilac to deep purple.

The striking looks that Tisci creates are what contribute to his notoriety and power in the stage of fashion. The strength and vibrancy that the clothing project are unparalleled, and in fashion that’s often what it takes. This rarity prompts desire for many women, and there’s no one who does it like him.

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Valentino

When a great house is taken over by new designers, there is always this pressure on keeping in line with the “rules of the house” or tending to the archives. The mandate to stay within the past while pushing forth and modernizing seems contradictory, but can be done spectacularly (e.g Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga).

Since 2008 when Valentino showed his last collection, the house has been struggling to find a suitable replacement. After Alessandra Facchinetti was unceremoniously fired after her Spring 2009 collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli were appointed. Assumedly chosen because of their history working with Mr. Valentino himself, the hope was to have designers that could better adhere to his iconic aesthetic.

Their first collections were reverent, and seemed to have deliberate nods to the house’s “DNA”, but sooner or later the true aesthetics of the designers were going to show through.

For their Spring 2010 Couture collection, Chiuri and Piccioli presented a collection that was cyber-ethereal and not very Valentino at all. Outside of the three pieces that were in a variant of the “Valentino Red,” there was nothing that indicated any sort of emphasis on the tradition of the house.

Outside of the context of Valentino, the collection was rather sublime. The looks were directional and dreamy, which is what is expected of couture. The draped chiffon that was seem in nearly all looks gave a richness to the collection that made it seem more appropriate for the couture prices that one will certainly pay to obtain these pieces.

After the collection, Valentino Garavani’s longtime business partner Giancarlo Giammetti posted to his Facebook page the following:

“just speechless,” . . . “not sad…just surprised.…We have always supported the new designers and we love them, but this time we have to distance ourselves from this ridiculous circus.” via Fashionologie

What lies ahead for Chiuri and Piccioli with Valentino may be unclear, but the key that Valentino executives may want to keep in mind is the future, which Chiuri and Piccioli seem to havecaptured.

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Christian Dior

John Galliano is a designer known for his deep research that goes into a collection. Every season there is a new assortment of references instilled into his collection for Dior. This season he was inspired by the work of the designer Charles James, who was known for a having a strict and structured aesthetic.

The first looks drew from equestrian garb, and moved from there onto overtly glamorous dresses and gowns. The best section of the collection was the jewel-toned cocktail dresses, which seemed to have a modern presence that had a sense of reference but were not bogged down by history and classicism.

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All photos via Style.com