Riccardo Tisci’s prét-a-porter debut at the house of Givenchy was one of the most significant fashion moments of 2005. His inception was certainly on a grand scale – beginning with the venue of the Tennis Club de Paris transformed for the event, with a clinical white set featuring a giant sphere as an impending centerpiece surrounded by white chaises and mirrored floor tiles.

The show unfolded with Riccardo’s muse Mariacarla Boscono in a white sheer blouse and pencil skirt. Reclining daintily on a chaise as the other girls walked past, Mariacarla watched as the other models positioned themselves around the room –  graceful Givenchy goddesses in a languid procession snaking their way around the pavilion.

Upon reflection, the garments themselves truly set the tone for the story that Riccardo has continued to tell for the past ten seasons. His signatures abound from the very first look down to the eveningwear, with softly feminine sheer blouses, pencil skirts and goddess dresses balanced by bold footwear, lashings of heavy satin and lace, and tuxedo details. The colour palette has also seen some revisiting over the years, with the classic black and white a solid foundation – shot through with silver and gold metallics, punchy pastels of mint and violet, and Riccardo’s demure way with blush pink and nudes.

After the show, Vogue Paris’s Carine Roitfeld fêted Riccardo’s new appointment with an exclusive soirée, as the first testament to her ongoing support of his work and the house. Riccardo began with an audacious offering – mixing the romantic house codes with a new vibrancy of tactile, fluid garments that mixed equal parts of old world elegance and new glamour.