Courtney Love is a woman that needs no introduction – rocker, actress, icon and iconoclast. Lover and hater. Saint and sinner. And she and Riccardo Tisci have history. The first landmark in their relationship was a private Love concert hosted at Givenchy’s avenue Georges V headquarters in June 2007. The celebration? To toast Love’s upcoming solo record Nobody’s Daughter. Love took to that intimate, salon stage wearing an haute couture dress from the previous day’s A/W 2007 show. And the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly three years later, Love collaborates with Panos Yiapanis, one of the most influential stylists of our generation as well as key court to the house of Givenchy – Panos and Riccardo’s collaboration at Givenchy menswear in particular has brought the most culuturally relevant men’s clothes since the heady days of Slimane at Dior.

And it is this spring Courtney Love will finally release Nobody’s Daughter under the moniker of Hole, her band that has regrouped under a new line-up. Key of which is guitarist and new creative sparring partner Micko Larkin, a ramshackle-romantic character hailing from London outfit Larrikin Love, a band which shone brightly for one album in 2006 then disbanded in 2007.

Ahead of Hole’s three showcase gigs this February 2010 – 17th at London Shepherd’s Bush Empire; 19th Milan Magazzini Generali and 21st Amsterdam Paradiso – Dazed and Confused magazine ran a cover story with the self-proclaimed dirty blonde, featuring the following tribute from Tisci:

“Courtney is an icon. Lot’s of celebrities in the last ten years have tried to be rock’n’roll, but Courtney is the real rock’n’roll, the goddess of rock’n’roll.

What I love about Courtney is that she is so unpredictable. When I met her she became my muse. I design with Courtney in mind in a way – you really want to design for a woman like that. She’s got soul. She’s super rock’n’roll but at the same time, super intelligent. I love strong women with a lot to say, and she has a lot to say.

She did a private concert for Givenchy at the couture salon, which was amazing. We put her in a dress from The Goddess collection – this white dress, super-couture with embroidery. I loved her in it. Anything you put on her becomes Courtney Love, she’s such a versatile monster! She does movies, she does great… she does music, she does great.

Sometimes when you meet your icons you’re scared you’re going to be disappointed, but when I met Courtney I was even more in love because she can talk about everything, from art to fashion to music. I dressed her around two years ago; the first look was this blue suede couture coat with a muslin dress underneath. The next day she appeared in the press in this leopard-print Givenchy outfit with black degrade from the jacket down. It’s important that you wear what you really feel it’s good for you to wear. Age doesn’t matter, sometimes you see girls who are 20, wearing clothes that could belong to a woman of 50, and sometimes you see a woman of 50 dressing young and they look really good. It depends how they carry the clothes. This is what I love about Courtney – when she puts on clothes, they become Courtney Love.”

A#8 features a collage by Love, a mood of charged feminine energy, flowers, disorder nobility and nothing. THE MOST CAKE, is a recurring metaphor, a lyric culled from Hole’s 1994 release ‘Doll Parts’. It’s here she scribes her preoccupations – ranging from the Book of Kells to greed, sex, money, Marie Antoinette, Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey. Riccardo, Panos and Givenchy are called as well as other creative forces like photographer Steven Klein and taxidermist Polly Morgan…

Riccardo Tisci was born in 1974 in Taranto Italy, and the only son among eight daughters. Riccardo studied fashion design at London’s Central St Martins, graduating in 1999. After a stint working for Ruffo Research, he was appointed creative director of Givenchy in 2005, after showing his own self-titled collection in Milan.

Tisci has since revived the tired house of Givenchy to its former glory, injecting a much needed energy and drama into all facets of the brand. His designs tell a darkly romantic story – with a sharpness of cut and a harmony of dark and light that renders a regal, contemporary silhouette. A sense of luxury resonates throughout each collection, as Riccardo deftly combines exotic textures with classic shapes, crisp tailoring with unexpected fabrics, and modern draping with high impact, bold accessories. His haute couture collections have become one of the most awaited offerings each season, with his unconventional and dramatic approach to this most contentious domain of fashion allowing fantastical creations to ‘wow’ worldwide audiences.  With a sheer abundance of practically ‘gilted’ garments in lavish fabrics, opulent hardware and impeccable finishing, these pieces manage to border on the realms of mythical costume.

Throughout the month of January, A Blog reflects upon the darkly romantic themes of A#8, an issue that holds an absolute plethora of contributions from names across the globe and across fashion history – from Hubert de Givenchy himself to some of today’s most influential creatives. From a collage by Courtney Love or backstage snapshots by Suzy Menkes, to Amanda Lear’s crying nun or an exploration of Givenchy muses by the likes of Willy Vanderperre or Inez & Vinoodh, the pages turn to reveal Riccardo’s universe of like-minded souls – each with their own thread to weave in his dark tapestry of renaissance, religious and urban aesthetics.

Please click here to see A#8 online at WWW.AMAGAZINECURATEDBY.COM, with another back issue released each month. A#2 by Yohji Yamamoto, A#3 by Haider Ackermann, A#4 by Jun Takahashi, A#5 by Martine Sitbon, A#6 by Veronique Branquinho and A#7 by Kris Van Assche are also all available to view online now.

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