GIVENCHY

A friend of mine told me a while back that the experiences of religious ecstasy and sexual orgasm are identical in the mind in terms of the morphine-like chemicals naturally produced by our brains (endorphins, for example, are generated during intense physical excitation or pain) but as a Buddhist I never made much of it.

But at Friday night’s Givenchy show, designer Riccardo Tisci merged the the imagery of Catholicism with overt sexual undertones that underscore his fashion vocabulary.

Religious imagery–specifically the cult of communion (albeit a sexy and sensual communion look)–took center stage with large prints of the Madonna adorning the front panels of sheer sleeveless t-shirts.

If the image of Madonna was ubiquitous, so, too, were the tailored single-breasted suits that served as the backbone of this collection.

There were plenty of sportswear elements to satisfy Givenchy fans looking for that all important street cred: a range of printed tees, some in silk, and a white and black printed baseball jacket.

There’s a slight feminine touch here in use of light pink and on a rigid sheer organza print tee that reveals a white tank top underneath. In past seasons, skirts and long shirts were made with heavy woolen or hard cotton fabrics.

This collection is the apex of Mr. Tisci’s signature menswear looks since his first collection in spring 2009 that mixed the Gothic and Catholicism. Even with the fast pacing of the show (models whizzed by like racers from the Tour de France), there was a sense of familiarity in many of the looks–and it was hard to resist this enthusiastic celebration of Mr. Tisci’s signature silhouettes.