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Whether it's a sign of the financial times, or truly a move to up its exclusivity ante, we'll never know, but the house of Givenchy will abstain from showing its couture collection during Paris' Haute Couture week and, instead, take private appointments with clients and editors beginning July 6.
"I want to make couture even more special than it is," creative director and couturier Riccardo Tisci told WWD, "and not just another catwalk show."
To that end, Tisci has also whittled the couture collection down to only ten looks.
The company insists that this move is not a "cost-saving measure," reports WWD, who estimates that the total cost of the appointments, hiring top models including Lara Stone and Mariacarla Boscono, as well as producing a lookbook shot by photographer Willy Vanderperre, will cost 35% more than the couture show would have.
"After a crisis, a new era always starts," Tisci said. "It's going to be a very good moment for creativity. For couture, it's going to go back to being very exclusive."
· Givenchy Bids Goodbye to Couture Runway [WWD]