Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci is a busy man: in the past month alone he has made Bambi cool again, presented a pre-collection, designed some menswear, been at the Met ball (where he dress a gamut of stars that spanned Beyoncé via Rooney Mara to Kim Kardashian), and accepted the CFDA International Award from actress Jessica Chastain.

So forgive him for not doing a couture presentation this season. He's got a range of watches out too for Chrissakes.

Givenchy hasn't participated in couture week with a full show for some time; Tisci has favoured low-key presentations to show off his sleek and modern craftsmanship, only releasing one single group shot of models by way of publicity.

The fact is, Givenchy has one of the most successful couture precedents in Paris, both in terms of visibility and wearability – and always has done. From founder Hubert de Givenchy dressing Audrey Hepburn, to the coterie of cool kids queuing up for Tisci's gowns latterly, the label is hardly struggling to find recipients for its most rarefied pieces.

So Tisci, for good reason, is able to continue creating for his private clients, without necessarily succumbing the stresses and schedule demands of a presentation, let alone a full-blown show.

It's an interesting fact, given the couture heritage – that of private salon shows for only the most abstruse of fashion buyers – which is in direct contrast to the current democratisation of ready-to-wear, in live-streaming and blogging. Couture has always been beneath the radar and, despite tough economic straits, it's flourishing.

So perhaps the modern way to do modern couture is as Tisci does it, behind closed doors.