GIVENCHY Haute Couture Fall Winter 2012-2013 - Review by Rebecca Voight for Vogue.it

+ FULL GIVENCHY Haute Couture Fall Winter 2012-2013 Collection

Riccardo Tisci has come up with an impeccable way to present contemporary couture; a reduced presentation of just 10 looks gives him the time to lavish incredible attention to design and handwork on each piece. And the static presentation, with plenty of well informed advisors around at Paris's Hôtel d'Evreux to explain the techniques, gives his audience the possibility to marvel at it all up close which is what couture is designed for after all. This season, Tisci explored the "opulence of the gypsy world"---the capes, fringe and passementerie favored by gypsy women in their fetish color combinations of red and black and brown and black. This he mixed with his idea of 1960s pure, ladylike lines in beige and a hint of Asia in short kimono stole-like sleeves and trains. Above all this was a collection which explored the decorative possibilities of leather in fringe, 3-D passementerie cut outs, basketweave with sheared mink---which Tisci calls "plucked" meaning it is cut-out and shaved into geometric to takes the place of embroidery

Lengths:
full length cape-like dresses with high thigh slits to show off a slice of high-booted leg and coat which form a bolero in the front or back and go full-length on the other side

Colors:
black; red and black; red and brown; black and brown; beige and fleshy mink

Fabrics:
nappa leather fringe; basketweave leather; leather passementerie, shaved "plucked" mink lace; exposed red crystals and crystals "caged" in wool/cashmere; mixed beaded fringe worked in gradated color going from beige to dark tobacco; beaded velvet; mink; crepe

Shapes:
a shawl in leather passementerie and shoulder to floor nappa fringe becomes a dress; a backless halter dress makes its own train with all the passementerie inside the train; a short mink stole crossed in back looks like a cropped sweatshirt in front and is incorporated with a simple wool floor-length skirt with an elaborate passementerie apron train back; passementerie inside kimono sleeves; coats cropped in the front or back with go full length on the other side over sheaths and are covered with elaborate mink lace, red and coral jewels which are exposed or "caged"; a beaded velvet jump suit with incorporated open toe boots with scarf like knit stretch over the bust ending in beaded fringe i topped with a sweatshirt in extra-long mixed beaded and gradated fringe with toreador passementerie in beads over the shoulders

Accessories:
huge aviator sunglasses with gradated lenses; basketweave leather high-thigh boots with open toes and kitten heel leather sandals with leather passementerie trim