Erykah Badu has been selected to model for Givenchy’s Spring 2014 campaign. The brand’s creative director Riccardo Tisci has a creative eye when he casts the models for the photo-shoots, and calls the singer/songwriter one of the most stylish women he has ever met.

During a recent interview with Style.com, Tisci explained his ideas for the new campaign, and why he chose Badu as the newest face of Givenchy. “She’s an icon — come on!” , Tisci said. “What I want to do with my advertising campaign is spread the love. Already now it’s been three seasons that I’ve been using people that express something — they are great artists, or beautiful women, or stylish women, or models that I really believe in. It’s kind of a family portfolio.” Tisci continued: “She’s one of the most stylish women I’ve met in my life. She’s got such a good sense of proportion, of colors.”

For his latest campaign, Tisci has decided to only use women of color for the photo-shoots. “It’s 2013. Everybody’s being so cool about Instagram, about Facebook, any media — everybody’s being so open. At the end of the day, why are not so many black girls or Latin girls in shows? When you have an American president who is black! When I see this happening, it’s quite sad, I think. People can be so avant-garde, so advanced, but actually not, because people are still making differences between skin color.”

“My family portfolio concept is carrying on. This season, I decided to invite my dream icon, the respected Erykah Badu, to my stage,” Tisci explained. “As well as the young beauty Asia Chow, talent of tomorrow. And my new discoveries: Black goddesses Maria Borges and Riley and model Dominik Bauer. I am very happy, we did our job while spending good family time.”

Image via Wikimedia Commons