You'd think one year out of the spotlight would be more than enough, but Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci has decided to sit out couture season yet again due to scheduling concerns. Of course, he has been busy — co-chairing the Met Gala, designing for Rihanna and Beyoncé, creating costumes for the Opéra Garnier, and winning a CFDA Award are all accomplishments on the designer's schedule of late.
WWD reports that Tisci will continue with activities destined to enlarge the atelier, in lieu of showing couture on July 1-4. Those activities include a brand-new line of timepieces, the first since the previous collection was discontinued in 2009. Each named after a prime number and featuring such luxuries as gold plate, interchangeable straps, and a distinctively rugged feel, the collection is exclusively available at Colette, Barneys New York (in NYC and Beverly Hills), 10 Corso Como in Milan, Seoul's Boon the Shop, Selfridges, and select Givenchy stores. The watches will hit a wider range of boutiques in September.
Now, we're not saying the new collection isn't thoroughly lovely. And we do understand that couture is more of an art project, a brand integrity move, rather than a purely financial push. But Givenchy without couture? We can only hope Tisci finds some more time in his schedule next year.
Photo: Courtesy of Givenchy.