As Nicholas Ghesquiere Leaves Balenciaga, Who Will Replace Him?

It's been a year of turbulent fashion shake-ups, but none more dramatic than the departure of the legendary Nicholas Ghesquiere from Balenciaga, where he had been the Creative Director for 15 years. As of 30th November, Ghesquiere will no longer be responsible for the brand's aesthetics, leaving a gaping hole that will need to be patched up by a serious innovator. 

P.S. If you're looking for updates on this story (the Kane debacle, followed by the Wang debacle), scroll to the end!

 His last collection for the Parisian fashion house, Spring/Summer 2013.

[Image via Elle UK].

You don't have to delve far into the Google results to find that there had been growing animosity between Ghesquiere and Balenciaga's CEO, Isabelle Guichot, and also with Francois-Henri Pinault, the chairman of the brand's parent group, PPR. Pinault invested serious money into the reinvention of the Yves Saint Laurent label under Hedi Slimane but seemingly did not give Balenciaga the same lavish treatment. If this is the case then it's not hard to imagine Ghesquiere's frustration at watching a newcomer being given more funding and prominence, when he has spent one and a half decades doing his job without those kind of special exceptions. Slimane was even allowed to change YSL's name to 'Saint Laurent Paris', for goodness' sake, which felt a little pointless to me - a bit like when the Conservative Party went on for ages in the press about their new logo, which turned out to be a scribbly crayon tree that took approximately five seconds to produce.

Who will replace Ghesquiere? It's a Cluedo-esque mystery.

[Image via Google].

Wang, Altuzarra or Kane for Balenciaga?

The rumour mill is already going into overdrive with speculation as to who might be lined up as the new Creative Director of Balenciaga, with Alexander Wang being an early favourite. Other contenders are as varied as Joseph Altuzarra, Christopher Kane (who has been working his magic over at Versus with Donatella Versace), Mary Katrantzou and J.W. Anderson. Personally my money wouldn't be on the last two in that list, as I feel they're still determined to focus on building up their own labels and it would be an incredible shift to go from designing edgy Topshop capsule collections to influencing an entire fashion house. Depending on your source, Balenciaga dates back to 1914, 1918 or 1937, according to the Telegraph, Mr. Porter and the New York Times, respectively, though 1937 was when the first collection was shown in Paris as a fashion house, but whatever date you pick then we're talking about a long heritage of seriously respected couture. I'd prefer to see Katrantzou and Anderson continuing to spread their wings creatively under their own names before making that kind of leap into taking the reins of a powerhouse. However, Altuzarra, Kane and Wang would all be on my shortlist as they've had longer to establish themselves in the public eye and find their feet.

As for Ghesquiere, what will happen to him? Well, both Cathy Horyn and Suzy Menkes (New York Times) have at least implied that PPR rivals LVMH have already approached him to discuss working together. Menkes claimed that he would be able to design under his own name if he took up the LVMH offer, which would come with much greater creative freedom. Good on him if he does choose to do this, as he deserves to be better known for the work he has produced.

I look forward to reading about Ghesquiere's successor and seeing what direction he chooses to go in next. The times are certainly a-changin' in the fashion world, and it seems you can't expect everyone to stick to the status quo.

UPDATE: 17/11 - Christopher Kane to take over at Balenciaga

Grazia has today reported that Kane will succeed Ghesquiere as Creative Director at Balenciaga, according to the French branch of the magazine and also the newspaper Le Nouvel Observateur. Though there has been no official declaration from either Kane or the fashion house, it seems inevitable that the Scottish whizzkid will be taking the coveted position. 

Congratulations to Christopher, and I hope that Ghesquiere will find himself in a similarly exciting new role. 

But wait... what's that? A new development? Yup, read on. I thought Kane was a done deal, thanks to all those sources, but little did I know that the plot needed to thicken a little more.

UPDATE: 30/11 - Alexander Wang to take over at Balenciaga

Bloody hell, I can hardly keep up. Today it was announced in a flurry of whispers and some mega tweets that Wang, and not Kane, would be taking the reigns at the fashion house. Alexandra Shulman, Bryan Boy and Suzie Lau got Twitter in a frenzy and made us all wonder what on earth would happen to Kane, as excited as we were about Wang's future. I'm not sure what to believe anymore, but I know that Kane won't be allowed to flounder as he has a solid reputation and has built up an incredible following over the last few years, assisted by his sister Tammy. 

As for Wang? It is undeniably a 'big leap', in Shulman's words, given that the celebrated diffusion line T by Alexander Wang focused on great casual basics rather than couture, but his main line shows that he knows what the public wants and is very commercially attuned to the modern woman and he already has 12 stores. Given Ghesquiere's propensity to move away from the mass market then it's clear that Balenciaga is showing they want to focus on a wider and more financially driven (rather than creatively driven) market by hiring Wang.

That, I hope, is the conclusion to this story...

Top Spring/Summer 2012 Trends

As we're mid-way through the season, it seems fitting to look at the trends that have really made an impact in fashion and beauty. Here are seven of the best, giving you a week's worth of looks to road test:

 [Images via Style.com - please click to enlarge. 

L-R: Viktor & Rolf, Comme des Garcons, Meadham Kirchhoff].

1. Living Doll

On the Catwalk: Viktor & Rolf, Comme des Garcons and Meadham Kirchhoff all went for the doll aesthetic, fuelled by satin ruffles, frou frou skirts and very high necklines. Accessories included knee high socks, liberal amounts of glitter and incredibly long eyelashes, with Red Riding Hood-style capes seen at Vivienne Westwood to cover up. 

Wear with: tons of feline eyeliner, a sweet shop necklace and a quirky handbag, taking your cue from Olympia Le Tan's book clutch bags as seen on A-listers including Michelle Williams, who went for JD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye as her arm candy.

2. Cut and Paste

On the Catwalk: paste jewellery was seen at Miu Miu (in the form of cameo necklaces) and Dolce & Gabbana (used to embellish bodysuits and dresses), whilst Christian Dior's Spring Couture collection included jackets and skirts with exaggerated and obvious stitching lines. Meanwhile, laser-cut fabric turned heads at Louis Vuitton, Oscar de la Renta and Valentino, among others. The rule of thumb: either less is more, or more is more, with intricate layers of jewels or stripped back cluster sections of lace-like fabric holes doing the talking. Either way it's a feminine trump card that is more ladylike than the doll look.

Wear with: white tights and a beehive hairdo, applying as much Ellnett hairspray as possible - it's used by countless hair stylists and models.

[L-R: Stella McCartney, Lanvin, Balenciaga].

3. Olympic Arms

On the Catwalk: the shoulder was a key focus at Stella McCartney and Lanvin, where athletic arms really shone and you could forget about digging out your sports bra. The sports luxe trend relies on lashings of satin, halternecks, the occasional basketball vest shape and plenty of baseball jackets. Balenciaga provided padded shoulders that American jocks could almost carry off with aplomb. 

Wear with: a hint of body shimmer and bronzer (not too much or you'll give it an Essex feel), alongside a neoprene rucksack, fluoro eyeliner and Topshop hi-tops if you're going down the casual vest route.

4. Serious Talons

On the Celebrities: Both Adele and Lady Gaga have, ahem, spiked interest with their pointed manicures. If you're looking to really go for something different in beauty then this is definitely a style worth considering, as you'll never be able to stand a boring squared-off row of false nails again. Grab a rounded set and file them to an inverted 'V' shape if you can't find cool enough options on the high street.

Wear with: a pair of killer heels and some chandelier earrings. This look is versatile enough to work with several different styles, from leather jacket and hot-pants to the little black dress.

 [L-R: Charlotte Ronson, Prada, Louis Vuitton].

5. The Life Aquatic

On the Catwalk: it didn't have to be sea-themed, but aqua was everywhere during the S/S 2012 fashion weeks, from Charlotte Ronson's cool USA chiffon vibe to the elegant lace-clad Rodarte girl and the city-dwelling Prada woman with her long coat hiding a sneaky crop top. Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton brought us aqua tweed and gorgeous triple-strap kitten heels, House of Holland introduced cloudy aqua denim amidst sugared almond shades, and we all suddenly felt the need for an injection of that pale greenish-blue. This may have been the tip of the iceberg as far as pastels go right now, but it was a bloody big iceberg; aqua is the colour du jour.

Wear with: take a tip from Prada and go for bright red, making the blue tones really pop in comparison. Don't forget an aqua manicure or pedicure (try Barry M's Blue Moon) and a slick of pale lip gloss.

6. Deco Decade

On the Catwalk: Whether you blame the recession's glance back to the Great Depression, the Great Gatsby remake or the fact that Downton Abbey will be placing its third series in this decade, there was no denying the historical link between Dolce & Gabbana, Alberta Ferretti and Etro was firmly set to Art Deco. Milan Fashion Week, in particular, went crazy for the 1920s, but many other designers payed heed to all things Jazz Age, including Ralph Lauren. Key quirks included geometric lines, burnished gold accents on dresses, thin headbands and t-bar or Mary Jane shoes. Even at Victoria Beckham, the drop waist dress could be seen to have a 20s origin if you looked hard enough.

Wear with: the Marcel wave. A notoriously fiddly hair do, this is one of the most iconic things about the 1920s. Curl your hair and set the kinks with curling tongs and metal hairdressing clips, ideally following some of the brilliant step-by-step guides on Youtube.

 [L-R: Mary Katrantzou, Rodarte, Erdem].

7. Heavy Petal

On the Catwalk: the queen of intense floral prints is Mary Katrantzou, who continued to use them in her work but also added newer influences like underwater and animal forms which sat well with the flowers that made her famous. Meanwhile Erdem, another London print king, looked to chintzy blooms that stood out thanks to vintage-style hats, giving everything an air of cool granny chic. Lastly, those California Dreamers at Rodarte - sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy - made us look afresh at Van Gogh's sunflowers for our floral cues.

Wear with: all black or white creates a blank canvas from which the prints can almost blossom. Try a black pencil skirt with a simple black beret, a plain white t-shirt and studded kitten heels, or black leather trousers and minimalist boots.

Of course, this is by no means a comprehensive list, as there's still half a season for micro trends to emerge and expected trends to sell pitifully (yep, it can happen). Just bear in mind that these seven are going to be sticking around for a while yet, so you'd better get used to it!

Balenciaga's tasters for Autumn/Winter - get your inspiration here

Here's one of the stunning images from the Autumn/Winter 11-12 campaign of Balenciaga (taken from their website), a brand often preoccupied with structural beauty and adorning the female form with powerful fashion. There's something of the warrior in this collection, with the tough black coat exterior boosting the intense floral print. I love that they chose to set this shot in a medieval landscape, which really shows off the architectural leanings of the clothing.

The company posted Behind the Scenes trailers on its Facebook page, which gave fans a hint of what was to come. Each snippet lasted just 11 or 12 seconds. Hair and make-up were minimal and un-fussy, to really concentrate on the shapes and patterns used. The midi-skirt is clearly still going to be strong for next season, as seen on two of the models on the right.

Colour-wise, aside from trusty black and white, we were introduced to royal blue and burned orange. I love the cape on the right, in particular - there's an echo of vintage nursing uniform, but it's given a modernised look here and all detail has been stripped away.

Accessories are sharp and clean, in contrast to the braiding and bulkiness of the black statement jackets. The large metallic clutch will surely filter down to the high street, and these fierce stilettos would sit well with lovers of Topshop and Zara footwear - I can envisage either brand translating this look for Autumn/Winter.