Riccardo Tisci Unveils First Design

Riccardo Tisci offered the first clue about his plan after Burberry with a custom-made gown for the Ghanaian-British screenwriter and actress Michaela Coel, made for her to attend the London premiere of Marvel’s superhero blockbuster “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” on Thursday.

It marks the first time in 17 years that he has ever unveiled a design under his namesake label, which he closed before taking over the creative director role at Givenchy in 2005.

Coel wore an all-black matte stretch silk bodysuit with a multi-layered Chantilly lace skirt in a combination of floral and starred designs. She completed the look with bespoke black floral lace tights and black sandals, all by Riccardo Tisci.

This look was the result of a partnership between Tisci, Coel, and her mother, who has made many dresses for her since her birth, according to Coel.

She played the Wakandan warrior Aneka in the movie alongside Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, and Angela Bassett. The 163-minute movie is set to hit the cinemas on Nov. 11 in the U.S.

Tisci, who served as Burberry’s chief creative officer from 2018 until last month, said when Coel approached him to work together, “we knew this premiere in London – a city so close to both of us – would be the best moment to bring our conversations to life in a very special way.”

“It felt like the perfect time to celebrate Riccardo Tisci, the house that brought me so many opportunities and which led me to where I am today,” he added.

Calling Tisci her “amore,” Coel said that “to become a part of this moment in which his career comes full circle is a nourishing experience,” and that his collaboration with her mother “displays a remarkable confidence and humility in his craft.”

The red carpet moment indicated Tisci may not retire from fashion any time soon — but where he takes his namesake label, and if he’ll take on another opportunity at a major design house, remains to be seen.