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Givenchy Uses Only Asian Models At Haute Couture Show (PHOTOS)

First Posted: 01/26/2011 7:55 am   Updated: 05/25/2011 6:25 pm

Givenchy Creative Director Riccardo Tisci can't resist making statements with his model choices -- he introduced transsexual beauty Lea T. to the fashion masses and cast albino hunk Stephen Thompson in the brand's spring campaign. And now, at his Haute Couture show in Paris on Tuesday, he used exclusively Asian models to present his Japanese-influenced collection.

From the press release:

The Spring/Summer 2011 Givenchy Haute Couture collection by Riccardo Tisci draws its primary inspiration from Japan and particularly the work of the late legendary Butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno. Ohno's art was defined by languid, melancholic yet powerful choreography and a distinctive masculine/feminine contrast. At once fragile and flamboyant, Ohno's characters were often female and always forces of nature.

To crystallize his vision, Riccardo Tisci chose the crane, a symbol in Asian art and cross-cultural harbinger of good luck and immortality, which he offset with elements borrowed from the hard-edged, futuristic world of Gundam fighters. The result is a collection of 10 ensembles that appear delicately romantic when seen from the front, but are grounded by a technological, robotic charge in fluorescent yellow or fuchsia when viewed from behind.

Check out images of Givenchy's newest get-ups.

(All photographs courtesy of Givenchy.)

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10:16 AM on 01/31/2011
Love it! The uniformity shows off the clothes.

Asian girls may still be under-represented in fashion, but that is changing. Anyone see the new "Wild Violet" Estee Lauder ads? Had to do a double take. What a nice surprise.
12:40 PM on 02/01/2011
Liu Wen! The new face of Estée Lauder. She's absolutely stunning.
01:06 AM on 01/29/2011
Orgasmic!
02:53 PM on 01/28/2011
Incredibly beautiful.
02:08 PM on 01/28/2011
Since Asians make up so much of the world's population (well more than any other ethnicity)
I guess it's about time.
DUH.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ms Liann
F&F Feedback Appreciated
03:07 AM on 01/28/2011
So why is everybody pretending that they didn't put a girl out there in public with her nipples showing?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
NoMoTankYou
12:56 AM on 01/28/2011
I definitely saw the hat in #3 on an episode of Power Rangers.
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JEFFYBRUCE
seasoned fashion veteran and writer
07:26 PM on 01/27/2011
Does anyone at all realize that these gowns are upwards of $50,000 ---yes fifty thousand and probably more
08:57 PM on 01/27/2011
*sigh* These are Haute Couture gowns, some of which 6,000+ hours of labor was dedicated to create just ONE. These are not simply "clothes" to be bought off the rack by any means, but art. Compare it to a painting or sculpture which can be sold for much, much more than 50k. I would easily purchase one of those hats if I could and encase it in glass to display to house guests.
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JEFFYBRUCE
seasoned fashion veteran and writer
06:49 AM on 01/29/2011
Im sure Phillip Treacy would gladly sell you one but the 'dresses" are absurd---it doesnt matter if they take 60 YEARS to make ---these are supposed to be wearable--salable--labiet to not even 1% of the world population but nevertheless Haute Couture was the pinnacle of fashion and now it is blemished by this ...as well as the last collection....of "stuff' like this
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JScott
John Galt's last name is McGuffin-Smithee
06:40 PM on 01/27/2011
What's with the flava flave dbl headgear?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
motherfather
Politricks ain't easy!
04:15 PM on 01/27/2011
Interesting..I like it!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Monday Morning
“Try and fail, but don't fail to try.
12:19 PM on 01/27/2011
Love the look! Delicate looking like butterflies! I call it a winner!
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BestFunnyBlog
Detox My Zebra!
06:02 PM on 01/26/2011
Great collection. Asians also buy couture, so why not put the faces to the buyers. Do not take the hats literally, they are just decorative elements for the show.
05:37 PM on 01/26/2011
Cool
04:58 PM on 01/26/2011
beautiful gowns, and beautiful women.
Im not sure about the Pagoda hats.....they seem out of place
05:07 PM on 01/26/2011
actually, get rid of those pagoda hats. 
they just look _dumb_
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MaryJane
Corruptio optimi pessima
04:53 PM on 02/06/2011
It's a yin/yang thang.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
Cynth
[Your ad here.]
11:34 PM on 01/26/2011
Aesthetics and tastes aside, they're evocative of samurai helmets rather than pagodas.
12:08 AM on 01/27/2011
I see that now.
thanks!
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philogical
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur
03:10 PM on 01/26/2011
It would appear that few of you have ever lived in Asia and therefore have not gained an aspect other then occidental. Having lived in Korea and Southeast Asia off and on for quite a few years, I find the use of models from Asia an inspiration and a pleasure to the eye. The only down side to this collection is that not very many Western women would be able to look as good in this style of clothing. Yes there are always haters who try to imagine others as the bad guy and they will say and have said that Givenchy Creative Director Riccardo Tisci has yellow fever. This is as you should know an insult and character assassination of the worst kind because it belies a prejudice on the part of the speaker not on Mr. Tisci.