The Fashion Designer merry-go-round has started again, and this time it's turning for Riccardo Tisci, the man who made leather kilts worn over black jeans a thing (at least for Kanye West circa 2011) and is now the newly-minted Chief Creative Officer of Burberry.
He replaces Christopher Bailey, the man who reinvigorated the British brand with a series of excellent collections while artfully dispelling the social stigma surrounding the check and radicalising the way customers shopped high-end fashion (See Now Buy Now), before announcing his departure last October after 17 years.
It was a move that sent the fashion world rumour mill into overdrive, with former Louis Vuitton honcho Kim Jones and Céline's Phoebe Philo both reported to be in the frame.
Now, we know St Martins-trained, Givenchy-raised (well, from 2005-2017) Tisci is the man charged with leading the next chapter for Burberry in one of the biggest roles in menswear.
Marco Gobbetti, the chief executive of the Burberry and someone who knows his fellow Italian well (the pair worked together at Givenchy) said that Tisci was "one of the most talented designers of our time" with "skill in blending streetwear with high fashion" which is "highly relevant to today’s luxury consumer."
As for the man of the hour himself, Tisci said he had "enormous respect for Burberry’s British heritage and global appeal" and said he was excited about the potential for "this exceptional brand."
It will be interesting to see the direction in which Tisci takes British institution of Burberry, having made his name at Givenchy with dark streetwear, menacing prints (snarling Dobermanns, great white sharks and howler monkeys with their teeth bared were all signatures) and star-emblazoned t-shirts and outerwear.
With a long-running Nike collaboration and credits that include the wardrobe design for Kanye West and Jay-Z's Watch the Throne tour (that leather kilt included), Tisci arrives with great pedigree and standing in the world's of streetwear and celebrity, both avenues that - given their logo-heavy last show - Burberry will surely be keen to explore further.
