Yesterday’s announcement from Balenciaga that, after 15 years as creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière would be parting ways with the fashion house came as a surprise to most in the fashion industry. While there have been a slew of changes and musical chairs going on lately at fashion houses such as Jill Sander, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, nobody saw this exit coming. Ghesquière, considered one of fashion’s most influential designer, has not only brought life and prestige back to Balenciaga’s womenswear during his tenure but his futuristic and distinctive point-of-view has come to represent the house’s singular aesthetic. It’s hard to imagine Balenciaga sans Ghesquière. So what sparked this separation?
According to WWD, Ghesquière has been frustrated with the label for some time now:
For several years, Ghesquière was said to resent what he felt was a lack of support and funding for the brand — only exacerbated by increasing friction with chief executive officer Isabelle Guichot. In addition, resources committed to Hedi Slimane and the reinvention of Saint Laurent, while not a primary cause of Ghesquière’s departure, added to the tension.
Who will be filling those huge shoes? What’s up next for Ghesquière? Guichot did share with WWD that there is a short list of candidates they are presently considering. For now, only speculations abound with names like Joseph Altuzarra, Mary Katrantzou, J.W. Anderson and Alexander Wang popping up as possible contenders.
We’ve been loyal and huge fans of Ghesquière’s work at Balenciaga for years and to celebrate his magnificent body of work at the fashion house, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite and most memorable looks by the designer.
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-Alexandra Phanor-Faury
images via style.com
- Write of Passage - October 28, 2013
- Old School Mood Boards - June 17, 2013
- Chloe Resort 2014 - June 12, 2013
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https://www.alexandraphanor.com/a-look-back-at-nicolas-ghesquiere-for-balenciaga/
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