Kanye West has been a fan of Givenchy for quite some time now. Some would even credit him as being the one to introduce the French fashion house to hip-hop/rappers. Over the years, he's built a relationship with the label's creative director, Riccardo Tisci, who's made custom outfits for Ye and even designed the cover art for the rapper's joint album with Jay Z, Watch The Throne.
Tisci, who's gearing up for the release of the new and last installment of his Nike + R.T. Air Force 1 sneakers, spoke to British GQ about his seven-year friendship with Kanye, plus how he was introduced to Kim Kardashian, and how long he's been wearing Nike.
The designer, often celebrated for reviving Givenchy as a fashion house, told the publication that Kanye first introduced him to Kim when the rapper suggested all three of them go for dinner. At the time, Tisci, who says he isn't the "type of person to watch television," didn't know about "this phenomenon of the Kardashian family." Now, he confidently says he "likes the girl" and that Kim is "cool" and "very different from what people think." Which is why, when he reportedly discovered that the fashion industry "didn't like her" and "didn't want anything to do with her" he still invited them to his shows, did special projects with them, and dressed them—even if he "got killed so much." That clearly didn't bother him. He explains that, "that's what you do to be a friend, to be real—you don't care about what people are saying."
As the entire world knows now, Tisci famously dressed the #WORLDSMOSTTALKEDABOUTCOUPLE (and North) for their extravagant wedding in Florence, Italy. But Tisci revealed that, at first, Kanye just approached him as a fan and asked for his opinion of things. He also said that by the time of the ceremony, those in the industry who'd previously expressed distaste for Kim and the two as a couple had changed their mind, thanks in part to the Internet-crashing Vogue cover. "It was sweet because she could have asked a lot of people at that time—but she still asked me," Tisci said about Kim requesting him to design her wedding dress.
Tisci also touched on Nikes, telling British GQ that he's been a fan since he was 14 and how he's always worn white Air Force Ones—pretty apropos considering that's the basis of his successful collaboration with the footwear giant. "That's no bullshit, you can go on the Internet and search—I'm always in them!" he said. "I used to play [basketball] when I was young, like 16, and was obsessed with sports culture. So basically I've been wearing them for a long time, and I'm not very 'fashionable' in the way I dress—I'm always in black jeans, white trainers and black shirts." He says that other sports labels have approached them but he's been too busy to work on anything outside of Givenchy. But what made the Nike collab a shoe in is his genuine love for the brand. "It's kind of like the president of American because, after the American flag, it's one of [those iconic things you] think about when you think of America like Coca-Cola, Marlboro Lights and now Obama."
Read the entire interview here to see what else Tisci had to say about the sneakers, other celebrities he'd like to dress, and how he feels when he sees people wearing his shoes. Teaser: He hints at wanting to continue the collaboration with Nike.
[via British GQ]
