It says a lot about last night's Givenchy catwalk show that Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and singer Courtney Love were among the front row glitterati.
At the Paris Fashion Week offering from a brand renowned for its ability to re-interpret the rock chick look, it is hard to imagine any more appropriate inclusions to a high-powered guest list that also included Lily Allen, Justin Timberlake and Liv Tyler.
And while the key components of the show — a spectacle of floating chiffon and leopard print — may not sound like the sort of thing normally associated with the likes of Love and Wood,
creative director Riccardo Tisci showed his skill in transforming the most feminine fabrics into serious, tough and undeniably cool clothes. This was a show every inch fit for a rock star.
Combining influences from glam rock with androgynous tailoring, Tisci unveiled a true-to-form collection. In keeping with his passion for suiting and an ability to give fundamentally simple clothes a complex edge, fitted miniskirts featured zip details and were worn over transparent chiffon, while beautifully cut jackets were layered with double-breasted waistcoats, and coats were detailed at the back with choirboy-style frills. That leopard print featured prominently on chiffon dresses, cropped jackets and short, structured skirts, but with a distinctly modern touch. Tisci breathed new life into a print most associated with tacky Eighties style, using it blown-up as shoulder straps on a long, sheer-backed dress and discreetly embossed on leather jackets.
A flowing gown detailed with zips — and a tunic with zipped sleeves in an embroidered leopard print — came in refreshing pale peach. The most wearable pieces included slouchy, leopard-print sleeveless T-shirts in peach, white and nude that are likely to go down well with less well-heeled fans of the label. A stand-out collection from a designer who never fails to drive rock chicks wild.
