“Like any competitive industry, fashion understands the market need for a constant infusion of fresh blood and untapped talent. But among the crop of sartorial prodigies to have emerged in recent years, none has ascended from young upstart to master of the universe as rapidly as 36-year-old Italian designer Riccardo Tisci. He recently spoke with one of his fashion heroes, the also proudly Italian Donatella Versace.”

RICCARDO TISCI * Excerpt from “Riccardo Tisci by Donatella Versace” (Interview, June 2011, by Donatella Versace)

MY INSP IRAT ION
“My inspiration comes from many sources, and one of those sources is precisely the maison Versace.”

“MY” WOMEN
” I have women who are very close to me now − for example, Mariacarla [Boscono], Carine Roitfeld, Marina Abramovic. I have different women whom I adore and value. Everyone thinks that for many years Carine Roitfeld was my stylist, which is not true. Carine was like Mariacarla to me. Yes, there are some people whom I esteem and want their opinion first, but that’s my way.”

MY MUS IC
“At the moment, I am fixated on Nicki Minaj and Antony and the Johnsons, but I’m also one who changes around in music a lot. I love the conceptual aspect of Antony Hegarty or the voices of those back in the day like Lil’ Kim, Missy Elliott, Ciara. I love what evokes emotion in me.”