If there is one thing you can expect from a Givenchy event, it’s a Kardashian. The family of reality stars has held a tight-knit relationship with the brand’s creative director, Riccardo Tisci, for years.
Tisci was one of the first designers to cast Kendall in a runway show during her debut season in 2014.
He has custom designed numerous gowns for Kim, including the one she wore to her much buzzed-about nuptials to Kanye West.
So it was no surprise when Kim and Kanye led the celebrity guests—and Kendall returned to the catwalk—at Givenchy's star-studded, glamour-drenched, hype-soaked New York Fashion Week show.
There were (as it turned out, incorrect) rumors that Caitlyn Jenner was set to make her runway debut.
The crowd teemed with A-list celebrities and fashion bigwigs. Julia Roberts looked effortlessly radiant in a black graphic tee (featuring Tisci’s face) and blazer draped over her shoulders. Nicki Minaj turned heads and caused a flashbulb fury in a skin-tight leopard print dress and matching fur shawl.
Naomi Campbell, Erykah Badu, Doutzen Kroes, Ciara, Steven and Liv Tyler, Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, Amanda Seyfried, Courtney Love, Jennifer Hudson, Margot Robbie, Karen Elson, and Carine Roitfeld rounded out other notable names.
The 800 “non-industry, non-celebrity” people who were fortunate enough to snag a coveted spot inside the event co-curated by performance artist Marina Abramovic were pushed to the back.
But considering this was easily Fashion Week’s biggest and most buzzed about show—it’s the first time Givenchy has presented in New York as opposed to Paris—no one could complain.
The night was hypnotic. A monk sang tribal tunes while performers stood under water spouts, held large branches, or slowly climbed up and down ladders.
Abramovic’s note inside the program, addressed to Tisci with her love, referred to the events of 9/11; the location of Pier 26 on Manhattan's West Side had a clear view of the Freedom Tower.
The music, she wrote, was from six different cultures and religions; the set was constructed from recycled materials and debris, so it could be constructed and deconstructed without waste.
As attendees descended onto the pier, the sunset quickly became picture perfect before receding into the distance and leaving the area utterly dark.
The lights came on. The female models walked out.
A few minutes in, one poor model in a nude silk dress took a tumble about three minutes in. She tripped on one of the many wooden staircases that had been strategically placed on the runway in a maze of rusted metal structures.
Down she went from the top of the stairs as those seated on the front row ran to help her up. She walked it off just fine, but we hope her career isn’t ruined.
Towards the end of the show a tall blonde in all black also lost her balance as she attempted the maze in sky-high heels. She did the only thing you can do: break character to smile and laugh it off.
Hopefully these girls will be OK: Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevingne have both had their tumbles on the Givenchy runway.
Flowing pants and cream-colored silk robes floated in the wind as the female models walked by in intricately bedazzled face coverings, masterminded by Tisci’s righthand makeup artist, Pat McGrath.
They reportedly taken over 12 hours for a single application.
Meanwhile, a troupe of male models appeared in sleek suits: some all white, some all black, some with hues of brown and accented with intricate patterns.
All the looks were classic Givenchy, with edgy twists that can cater to both the conservative and rebellious fashion crowds.
The event, as celebrity and glamour-heavy as it was, was—Abramovic insisted in the program—about “forgiveness, inclusivity, new life, hope, and, above all, love.”
