Speaking at the Rome launch of his new Nike collaboration last week, Riccardo Tisci provided some insight into his future plans following his exit from his role as creative director at Givenchy. While hinting at the road ahead, he also explained how the NikeLab Air Max 97 Mid x RT was like a journey back to his roots.
Why he needed to take a break:
“I really wanted to take a break because I needed to go back to reality. I needed to have the time to do things, which were impossible for me to do while working. I wanted to spend more time with my mum, who is 88.”
Listen to your mother:
“My mother always says: ‘Riccardo, you might become someone, but the kid inside you never grew up.'”
On those Versace rumors:
“There are very interesting things on the table now and I’ll take a decision before summer. I’m not worried about the future. Those who love me can wait for me.”
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Why the ’90s revival isn’t going away:
“I feel a growing desire for classicism. I think that what fashion needs now is identity and honesty, which I think got lost in the last years. I think there will be a return to that honest fashion of the ’90s.”
Why the Nike collaboration was “a very personal project”:
When the Air Max 97 first launched in 1997 Tisci wore it clubbing in Italy and Ibiza: “Everybody was wearing those shoes. If you didn’t have them, you were considered a loser.”
How the sneakers are striking a blow to the man-bag:
The new kicks launching March 26 feature a zippered pocket for money on the tongue of the shoes. This is a man who likes to travel light.
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