Riccardo Tisci is leaving Givenchy

Riccardo Tisci is leaving Givenchy, the luxury Parisian label where he has been at the helm of the label's creative direction since 2005. A source at the company told Fashion Network that the Italian designer announced his departure to his staff himself. According to the same source, however, the designer still has not signed a contract with Versace.

Later in the day, the house confirmed Tisci' resignation, and that he was leaving in order to focus on his "personal interests and passions."

Givenchy, in a statement said it was "a joint decision" not to continue the collaboration and that Tisci had officially left the company January 31 "after a very successful twelve year partnership."

Rumours have been circulating for the past few weeks about the departure of Riccardo Tisci and his arrival at Versace.

He is friends with the Donatella Versace and in 2015 posed for a Versace advertising campaign. The Italian label had no comment when questioned by Fashion Network.

Tisci, who received a degree in 1999 from London's Central Saint Martins, made his Givenchy debut in 2005 as a relative unknown, where he took over the womens' collections before taking charge of the mens' collections in 2008, marking a significant new chapter for the label.

The Italian designer, originally from Apulia, breathed fresh creativity into the fashion house during his employment, giving the label a fresh lease of life by mixing streetwear and couture, marked by a dark romanticism.

Givenchy chief executive Philippe Fortunato applauded Tisci's "visionary qualities that led to a strong growth of the brand," and thanked him for "his outstanding contribution to the international development and appeal" of the fashion house.

Tisci himself, in the same statement, said he maintained "very special affection for the House of Givenchy and its beautiful teams."

While thanking Givenchy for giving him a platform to express his creativity over the years, he added that "I now wish to focus on my personal interests and passions".

His latest menswear and haute couture collections for Givenchy, part of the French luxury group LVMH, were presented in Paris last month.

Givenchy's next ready-to-wear collection is due to be unveiled on March 5 during Paris Fashion Week.

The prestigious fashion house said the name of Tisci's replacement would be announced soon.

After founder Hubert de Givenchy left the company in 1995 there were a string of British designers at the fashion house: John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Julien Macdonald.

Tisci becomes the latest in a series of designers who have left major labels of late, with changes in direction also at Dior, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Lanvin, Chloe and Carven.

With reporting from AFP

Riccardo Tisci is leaving Givenchy

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