Riccardo Tisci (born in 1974 in Taranto, Italy) is an Italian fashion designer. He graduated from London’s Central Saint Martins Academy in 1999, and in 2005 was named Creative Director for Givenchy womenswear and haute couture. In May 2008 he was also named as menswear and accessories designer of the Givenchy men’s division.

Think of it as Samurai B-Boy. Clothes that are rough in their roots (skater-like shorts over black tights) but refined in their cut. These are duds made for dudes like Kanye and Drake: Guys who are not shy about wearing bold tailored classics with an extra wattage of rockstar, featuring pitbull prints, monochromatic mixing, finishes of fur and boots laced up to the knee, and beyond. These clothes are not afraid to swagger.

Tisci’s apparent fascination with Gothic touches (dark, languid dresses for fall couture) and space-age minimalism (one ready-to-wear show featured white-clad models drifting around a sterile-white sphere) have drawn new attention to the Givenchy brand. Reviews and output so far have been mixed and inconsistent, but many, including influential fashion critics (such as Cathy Horyn of the New York Times and Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune) have homed in on Tisci’s conceptual leanings, as well as his future potential for revitalizing the Givenchy brand and infusing it with his precision and imagination.

Tisci was born in Taranto, Italy. The city of Taranto is said to be mythologically tied with mermaids and marines, which often influences Tisci in his collections for both Givenchy ready-to-wear and haute couture. After graduating from London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1999, Tisci worked for a succession of companies such as Puma and Coccapani before signing a three-year contract with Ruffo Research, which launched the careers of a plethora of fashion designers, such as Sophia Kokosalaki.

Once his contract had expired in July 2004, Tisci began to work on his own collection, which he exhibited for Milan Fall 2005/2006 Fashion week. Shortly after, he was appointed by Givenchy as the creative director and made the following statement “I am delighted to join Givenchy and very proud to be able to bring my vision to this prestigious French haute couture house, whose history inspires me.”

Givenchy explained his fall-winter 2010-2011 menswear collection as being influenced by his deep Catholic roots: “Religion is a big part of my DNA and this collection was about my Catholic(ism) and every other religion in a way.”