Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton

photo: Louis Vuitton

Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton

Nicolas Ghesquière

He was born in the South of France in 1971. At the age of 15, Nicolas launched his journey in the fashion industry as an intern. In 1991, after completing his education, he entered the fashion industry as an assistant to Jean-Paul Gautier. Four years later, he became artistic director for Balenciaga and attracted worldwide attention with his sculpturesque futuristic silhouettes and Parisian chic.

In October 2001 he received the CFDA International Designer award, and in 2006 was elected by the Times magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was also honoured by the French government with the title Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Ghesquière is considered one of the most exciting designers of his generation and was recognised as the creator of trends that impact the fashion industry globally.

Nicolas draws his inspiration from the streets. He believes that the street style does not have to be casual. Hence, in his work, he breaks the stereotypes driven by the desire to recreate the multiculturalism of everyday life while adapting it to the urban conditions. For him, walking on the streets past women who wear a silhouette that he created for Balenciaga, although their outfit is not an original of the brand, is his way of recognising his own impact on society and fashion.

The legendary designer believes that fashion is in fashion again and that becomes obvious from the number of companies that sell imitations. ‘The challenge in our time is branding – to build a brand. (…) Some people have a formula or a recipe – that’s why so many celebrities are doing clothes now. They are building a brand on their name or style. This is something that is valuable.’

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Based on materials from The New York Times, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Wikipedia