The Latest Pretty Woman Of Givenchy

Here at BWA we like to represent the many dimensions of beauty in women. At a time where most high end brands opt for doe-eyed models to bring big revenues through their millions of social media followers, a black and white image of 47 year old Julia Roberts, expressionless and devoid of makeup as the new face of French fashion house Givenchy, is perhaps the most refreshing fashion campaign of recent times.

Although we’re accustomed to seeing an airbrushed Julia flash her high-wattage smile for brands such as Lancome, it is the genius of Givenchy’s creative director Riccardo Tisci that leaves any memories of her romantic  picture-perfect campaigns firmly in the past, whilst the simple black and white images of this new campaign (shot by legendary photographers Mert and Marcus) catapult the actress very much into the “now.”

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Coming up to ten stellar years as the creative director at Givenchy, in a recent interview with Yahoo Style, Tisci revealed that he is always looking to innovate and sway people away from thinking Givenchy is exclusively haute couture or exclusively urban wear. For the recently launched Spring 2015 campaign, Julia was his first choice for the collection due to her representation of a strong, beautiful and mature American woman who is not obsessed with social media and the papparazzi.

Julia is seen wearing some of Tisci’s classic ready-to-wear pieces that mix masculine and feminine elements such as a boxy tuxedo jacket, a black and white chemise dress and a delicate lace blouse teamed with masculine trousers. She has been stripped of the disguise of hair and makeup and most notably her signature smile, to display human emotion and her essence as a person, rather than a celebrity.  Her power and intelligence as a woman and an iconic actress is shown just as much through a look of confidence as it is with sensibility.  All this without having to reveal an inch of flesh.

From the very beginnings of Givenchy in the 50’s, as reported by Forbes, the ideal was to put forward a conception of a woman who is different, intellectual and who is at the same time feminine and masculine. Ricardo Tisci seems to be upholding this notion whilst innovating the brand to encompass contemporary culture via a list of VIP’s that form his fashion family (or “gang” as he often refers.)

Being a fan of Julia Roberts since she became famous for her role in Pretty Woman, the layers of personal investment in Tisci’s creative choices is what distinguishes Givenchy’s unique identity and ensures it’s dark romantic couture graces the red carpet just as much as its iconic street wear does.

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Along with well-publicized friendships with the likes of the Kardashian-Wests, he also mixes up his campaigns with a selection of lesser known and rather obscure choices such as Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovic and R&B legend Erykah Badu. Like Julia Roberts, he credits the beauty of these women through their talent, strong personalities and the familial love he holds for them.

Moving into the next decade with the brand, Tisci is intent to continue to extend his family and revolutionise Givenchy into a lifestyle.  He mixes the perfect balance of old with new; the classic icons with the overnight sensations.

You just need to check out Tisci’s Instagram account (@riccardotisci17) to feel the love of the Givenchy family.  When asked by Joe Zee from Yahoo Style recently about including his latest muse in his photo album, Tisci said, “I was about to ask her, but then I was having such a special moment—to work with someone so iconic. And at the end of the day, you feel it. “You’re with Julia Roberts!” It was so emotional that I didn’t ask, “Can you take a selfie with me?”

You now get the feeling Julia has been on Riccardo’s wish list ever since he sat around with his eight sisters in Northern Italy and watched her walk into that Rodeo Drive boutique 24 years ago.

What do you think of the latest campaign? Is this a look you like to see in fashion or do you prefer a glossier finish? Let us know in the comments below, and earn BWA Dollars you can redeem here.

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