RUNWAY: Givenchy SS17

Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci has long been fascinated with American culture, his use of stars and stripes has been seen on many of his collections for the Parisian label. However, for SS17, it was American currency that took center stage. The greenback was featured on many of the shirts, jackets and coats seen throughout the collection, as well as the emblematic third eye, seen also in American currency but also a symbol for the secret society the Illuminati, something anyone who's ever read a Dan Brown book may have heard of. Was this a nod to them? An acknowledgement of the dominance of the American dollar in fashion and the world? Maybe. Possibly. But according to the designer himself, the collection was more about trying to get past the influence of money and seeing things for their real value rather than what the stated value says it's worth. It's an interesting proposition, especially coming from an industry whose wears are run into the four figures for a backpack or shoes.