What Riccardo Tisci Means For Burberry

In hiring Riccardo Tisci, Burberry has tapped one of the most dynamic designers in recent times. In many ways, the fashion landscape that we find ourselves in today was predicted by Tisci. During his reign at Givenchy, he foresaw several of the key issues and trends that are playing out today. From the rise of luxury streetwear and designer trainers, to increasing racial and gender diversity and using social media as a tool to smash orthodoxies, Tisci did it all first. He was even the first to embrace Kanye as a serious fashion figure and, in turn, the Kardashians, designing Kim’s wedding dress and giving Kendall Jenner her first Paris catwalk moment. In Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti, he has a businessman who is on his wavelength. Both Gobbetti (who worked with Tisci at Givenchy before running Céline and then Burberry) and Tisci understand luxury, but also how modern fashion intersects with technology and the new generation of young customers. Tisci, who graduated from Central St Martins in 1999, unveils his first collection at London Fashion Week in September. An exciting new era beckons. Here’s what to expect.

Tisci foresaw the rise of streetwear, designing must-have hoodies, sweatshirts and track pants, and styling them with delicate lace dresses and upscale accessories. At Givenchy, he was also one of the first luxury fashion designers to make cult trainers and since he left the brand he’s been involved in a hugely successful collaboration with Nike. Tisci has an instinctive understanding of how a young generation of fashion lovers want to dress now (branded, comfortable, but with flashes of real luxury) that will serve Burberry well.

Tisci understood that his role at Givenchy gave him a powerful global platform to change industry standards and attitudes. He seized his power using his platform at Givenchy to push for diversity. When many designers were sending out runways full of identikit models, Tisci stood out for his diverse cast of models. He opened his second ever couture show for Givenchy with nine black models, including Liya Kebede and Naomi Campbell and launched the careers of Joan Smalls, Lakshmi Mendon and Jourdan Dunn. 

He was also one of the first designers to cast Lara Stone (Christopher Kane had given Stone her first runway moment in the autumn of 2006) when she opened his spring 2007 couture show. Tisci has always been a champion of gender equality and diversity and has said one of the reasons he put his friend and transgender model Lea T in his autumn/winter 2010 campaign was to enable her to pay for gender reassignment surgery. Burberry has a good track record on these issues – Cara Delevingne closed Christopher Bailey’s farewell show in a rainbow LGBTQ cape. Expect Tisci to continue to champion diversity at Burberry in ever more creative ways.

The Burberry front row will undergo a major facelift. Tisci has a wide range of celebrity friends including Madonna, the Kardashians, Kanye West, Rihanna, Courtney Love, Nicki Minaj, Marina Abramović and Jay-Z.

Always an early adopter, Tisci (who has 2.2 million Instagram followers) seized upon the power of social media to push his agenda. With the hashtag #Gang he harnessed not only his own power but those of his extended group of friends and collaborators. Tisci understands how people communicate on social media and is a great fit for Burberry (which has 10 million Instagram followers). The brand prides itself on being ahead of other luxury players when it comes to communicating digitally. Expect him to inaugurate a new Burberry version of his #Gang with some familiar faces (including long-time muse Mariacarla Boscono) and translate his social media savvy into ground breaking campaigns and initiatives for Burberry.

There’s always an element of gothic romanticism coursing through Tisci’s work. How he brings that aesthetic to bear on Burberry’s heritage, steeped in British classics, will be fascinating to see. In his statement about taking the job he said, “I have enormous respect for Burberry’s British heritage and global appeal,” suggesting his outlook will be global rather than local. At Givenchy, Tisci embarked on an ambitious programme of updating old stores and opening news ones. Expect him to give Burberry’s 205 flagships a makeover.

At Givenchy, Tisci forged a reputation as one of the most creative and forward-thinking couturiers in Paris. He brings to Burberry the special skills and understanding of elite craftsmanship that comes with couture experience. His elevated vision (and his knack with cult leather goods) fits well with Gobbetti’s aim to establish Burberry firmly in the luxury sector, which the CEO recently described as “the most rewarding, enduring segment of the market.”