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Riccardo Tisci, a relatively unknown designer, created quite a commotion in the fashion world when he was named Womenswear Creative Director of the esteemed French fashion house Givenchy. After Hubert de Givenchy stepped down from his namesake label in 1995, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Julien McDonald all took a turn at the running the house and each found a more suitable home elsewhere.

In the spring of 2005, the 30-year-old Italian-born Tisci took on the responsibility of designing the Haute Couture, Women's Ready-to-Wear and Women's Accessory collections. In 1999, Tisci graduated from London's famed Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design - the same school that spawned some of our generation's most revered designers. (Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo to name a few)

The young designer, who formerly worked for German sportswear label Puma and Italian brand Coccapani, is said to have won the job because he was the only candidate who agreed to shelve his personal ambitions to concentrate 150 percent on Givenchy. While reviews of the new collections have been mixed, no one can deny that Tisci's apparent fascination with gothic touches and space-age minimalism have drawn new attention to the brand. While the brand made a name for itself dressing the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, Greta Garbo, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich and Jackie O, the modern Givenchy has attracted the likes of Kate Moss, Joely Richardson, Madonna and Sharon Stone.