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Nicolas Ghesquière

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Nicolas Ghesquière
Ghesquière in 2019
Born (1971-05-09) 9 May 1971 (age 53)
Comines, Nord-Pas de Calais, France
LabelLouis Vuitton

Nicolas Ghesquière (French pronunciation: [nikɔla ʒɛskjɛʁ]; born 9 May 1971) is a French-Belgian fashion designer who has been the women's creative director of the house of Louis Vuitton (owned by LVMH) since 2013.[1][2]

Early life

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Ghesquière was born in Comines, Nord, the younger of two sons of a Francophone Belgian golf-course owner and manager in the 7,500-inhabitant Poitevine town of Loudun and a French mother, who enjoyed fashion.[3][4] He grew up in Loudun, Vienne.[3] From a young age, Ghesquière enjoyed and practiced sports, such as horse riding, fencing,[4] and swimming, and, in fact, many of his collections today use that inspiration, most notably his scuba mini dresses and his equestrian-inspired fall/winter 2006 ready-to-wear collection.[5]

At a young age Ghesquière announced at that he wanted to be a designer. He now admits this was partly from an adolescent desire to do something different from his parents and to alleviate country boredom. By the age of 12, Nicolas was sketching dress designs in his school books, making dresses out of his mother's curtains, and designing earrings out of his grandmother's chandelier crystals.

With the help of his father, Ghesquière put together a portfolio of drawings and sent it, along with a letter introducing himself, to several designers.[6] He diligently did internships during his school holidays. At 14, he assumed an internship with French designer agnès b,[3] for which he was paid in clothes. His next apprenticeship was with Corinne Cobson.[7] He decided afterward that fashion was difficult and returned home to finish his schooling.

Career

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After graduating from high school at age 18, Ghesquière turned down a place at art school to work as an assistant to designer Jean-Paul Gaultier from 1990 to 1992.[8] He went on to work at Pôles, designing its knitwear line followed by a series of inauspicious assignments with different companies. He was considered the unofficial designer for the Italian house of Callaghan.[9]

Balenciaga

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Through his contacts with Marie-Amélie Sauvé and Nathalie Marrec,[10] Ghesquière eventually landed a job doing the licensing for Paris fashion house Balenciaga and designing for the Asian market. At that time, Balenciaga had limited success since the 1970s and was owned by Groupe Jacques Bogart, whose management realized Ghesquière's talent when he designed a small collection for one of its Japanese licensees. (The label's founder, Cristóbal Balenciaga, died in 1972.) Ghesquière held, as he then described it, "what many would call the worst position in fashion," designing suits and funeral clothes under a Balenciaga licence for Japan.

In 1997, at the young age of 25, Ghesquière was the surprise choice to head Balenciaga,[11] promoted to creative director of Balenciaga after his Dutch predecessor Josephus Thimister was fired following a highly unsuccessful show.[3] In this capacity, he was put in charge of the brand's entire image, from clothing and accessories to store design and advertising.[12] Following his appointment, he had less than four months to design the spring-summer 1998 collection from scratch.[13]

While working as the label's creative director, Ghesquière continued to design two Italian collections — Trussardi, then Callaghan — until 2001.[13] Callaghan's Spring 2001 Ready-to-Wear show was the first ever in New York for the then 35-year-old fashion house, and also served as the US debut for Ghesquière.[14]

In 2002, Ghesquière was embroiled in controversy when he was accused of plagiarizing from a deceased designer.[15] Ghesquière was forced to admit that he had copied a patchwork vest from San Francisco designer Kaisik Wong — who died in 1990 — for the Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2002 collection.[16] The design by Wong appeared in a 1974 reference book, Native Funk & Flash.[15] Ghesquière said, "I'm very flattered that people are looking at my sources of inspiration. This is how I work. I've always said I'm looking at vintage clothes."[17]

At Balenciaga, Ghesquière soon became known for his sense of contrast, such as pairing high-waisted skinny pants with a voluminous blouson or a tightly cut wool jumpsuit with billowing sleeves. His work soon turned Balenciaga into a critically acclaimed fashion house.[11] His biggest commercial success was the Lariat bag,[18] with braided handles and dangling zipper pulls. An aspect of the designer's devotion to the house's legacy was his respect for Cristóbal Balenciaga's original design concepts. However, even though the Balenciaga archives are stored in Ghesquière's atelier, he was only able to gain entry to the locked room by special appointment with an off-site custodian. Throughout his time at Balenciaga, Ghesquière continuously collaborated with the same artists, particularly French artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster – who worked with Ghesquière on the design of every Balenciaga boutique[19] – and stylist Marie-Amélie Sauvé. He has additionally cited actress Charlotte Gainsbourg as an influence during his time at the company.[20] At the same time, he launched the careers of several models, including Kirstin Liljegren.[21] Ghesquière's lariat bag is now considered a modern classic.[22]

The Gucci Group (PPR) bought Balenciaga in 2001. Ghesquière, who wanted to stay and expand Balenciaga, could only be bought through the house. "It is a happy relationship," Ghesquière said. "It has worked because they wanted me to explain what I wanted to do with Balenciaga, not the other way around." Ghesquière's collections have had a considerable commercial impact, particularly through his influence on other designers, including his former staff members Julien Dossena, Camille Miceli, and Natacha Ramsay-Levi.[4] During his 15-year tenure at Balenciaga, Ghesquière is widely credited with having helped turn the fashion label into one of the fastest-growing and most profitable brands of parent PPR.[23] During that time, he assembled one of the largest production teams in Paris with upwards of 30 people in the design studio and 50 in the fabrication ateliers.[19] In November 2012, PPR announced his departure from Balenciaga.[11][24][25]

Louis Vuitton

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On 4 November 2013, Ghesquière officially replaced Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton as creative director for the women's collections.[11] Some of his first designs for Louis Vuitton debuted on the red carpet, as worn by the actress Jennifer Connelly.[18][26] On 5 March 2014, Ghesquière had his first show under the LV brand.[27] LVMH renewed Ghesquière’s contract as artistic director of the women's collections in 2018[28][29] and 2022.[30]

Since joining Louis Vuiton, Ghesquière has regularly showcased his designs with shows in architectural landmarks including the Louvre in Paris – it was the first time the museum had allowed a fashion house to stage a show there –;[31] Monaco's Palace Square (2014);[32] Hope Residence in Palm Springs (2015);[33] the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum in Rio de Janeiro (2016); the Miho Museum near Kyoto (2017);[28][34] Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul de Vence (2018);[35] and the TWA Flight Center (2019).[4]

Ghesquière designed a series of character skins for the video game League of Legends in 2019.[36]

Recognition

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In 1998, Madonna wore Balenciaga’s gothic-chic dress to the Golden Globes and was named avant-garde designer of the year at the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards.[37] A year later, he was named Womenswear Designer of the Year by the CFDA. In 2006, he was among the TIME 100 Most Influential People.[38] Two years later, he was named Designer of the Year at the Accessories Council Excellence Awards.[39] Ghesquière was described as "fashion's most sought-after and influential figure" by American Vogue and was also cited as the International Designer of the Year in 2014 by the British Fashion Awards.[40]

Personal life

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In his twenties, Ghesquière was in a seven-year relationship with Pierre Hardy.[41] Subsequently, he dated James Kaliardos, a makeup artist and cofounder of Visionaire, for eight years.[3][13] More recently, he was in relationships with fellow designer Julien Dossena[42] and blogger Pelayo Díaz.[43]

In 2022, Ghesquière acquired John Lautner’s Wolff House in Los Angeles for $11 million from Amanda Hearst in an off-market deal.[44]

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References

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  1. ^ "Nicolas Ghesquière is part of the BoF 500". Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Nicolas Ghesquière". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e Daisy Garnett (6 February 2003), From Paris with Love Archived 4 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine New York.
  4. ^ a b c d Alice Gregory (18 October 2019) Nicolas Ghesquière Archived 20 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine T: The New York Times Style Magazine.
  5. ^ "Nicolas Ghesquière Is Playing 'the Big Game'". The New York Times. 15 October 2019. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  6. ^ Ingrid Sischy (27 March 2014), The Thriller at Vuitton Archived 17 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine Vanity Fair.
  7. ^ "Corinne Cobson, Designer With a Rock 'n' Roll Edge, Dies at 62". New York Times. 1 May 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  8. ^ Jo Ellison (19 September 2015), Nicolas Ghesquière Archived 19 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine Financial Times.
  9. ^ "Callaghan Spring 2001 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. 22 September 2000. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  10. ^ Steff Yotka (6 October 2015), Meet the Collaborators and Muses Who Make Up Nicolas Ghesquière’s Louis Vuitton Squad Archived 5 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine Vogue.
  11. ^ a b c d Socha, Miles (4 November 2013). "Louis Vuitton Confirms Nicolas Ghesquière Hire". WWD. Archived from the original on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  12. ^ Nadya Masidlover and Christina Passariello (4 November 2013), Louis Vuitton Appoints Ghesquière as Creative Director Archived 5 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine Wall Street Journal.
  13. ^ a b c Alice Rawsthorn (1 March 2011), The Change Agent Archived 5 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine W.
  14. ^ Cathy Horyn (23 September 2000), Review/Fashion; What Will Women Want? Two Peeks Archived 20 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine New York Times.
  15. ^ a b Horyn, Cathy (9 April 2002). "Is Copying Really a Part of the Creative Process?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  16. ^ Moore, Booth (16 December 2002). "Still dazzling". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021.
  17. ^ Wigham, Helen (12 April 2011). "April 12". British Vogue. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  18. ^ a b Christina Passariello (5 November 2014), Nicolas Ghesquière Innovates at the Legendary House of Louis Vuitton Archived 5 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine Wall Street Journal.
  19. ^ a b Pierre-Alexandre De Looz (17 October 2013), The story of NICOLAS GHESQUIÈRE and how BALENCIAGA became 21st Century Fashion Archived 27 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine 032c.
  20. ^ Pierre-Alexandre de Looz. "The story of NICOLAS GHESQUIÈRE and how BALENCIAGA became 21st Century Fashion". Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  21. ^ Tamsin Blanchard (4 October 2014), Ghesquière's girls: ‘Models are beautiful women and above all just women' Archived 13 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine The Daily Telegraph.
  22. ^ Yaeger, Lynn (2 October 2021). "From the Biker to the City Bag, a History of Balenciaga Handbags". Vogue. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  23. ^ Astrid Wendlandt (4 November 2013), Louis Vuitton names Ghesquiere as creative director for womenswear Archived 5 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine Reuters.
  24. ^ "Nicolas Ghesquière to Leave Balenciaga". The New York Times. 5 November 2012. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  25. ^ Astrid Wendlandt (5 November 2012), PPR's Balenciaga loses artistic head Ghesquiere Archived 19 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine Reuters.
  26. ^ Nicolas Ghesquière Dresses Jennifer Connelly in Custom Vuitton Archived 12 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Women's Wear Daily, 27 March 2014.
  27. ^ Socha, Miles (26 February 2014). "All Eyes on Nicolas Ghesquière's Debut at Louis Vuitton". WWD. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  28. ^ a b Joelle Diderich (23 May 2018), Louis Vuitton and Nicolas Ghesquière Renew Contract Archived 5 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine Women's Wear Daily.
  29. ^ Pascale Denis (23 May 2018), Louis Vuitton designer Ghesquiere signs new contract Archived 19 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine Reuters.
  30. ^ Christina Binkley (16 May 2022), Louis Vuitton CEO says Nicolas Ghesquière’s contract will be renewed Archived 27 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine Vogue Business.
  31. ^ Jo Ellison (8 March 2017), A night at the museum: Louis Vuitton goes to the Louvre Archived 5 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine Financial Times
  32. ^ Jacob Bernstein (19 May 2014), Louis Vuitton Comes to Monaco, Celebrities in Tow Archived 19 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine New York Times.
  33. ^ Lisa Armstrong (7 May 2015), Vuitton lands in Palm Springs in Bob Hope’s ‘spaceship’ house Archived 20 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine The Daily Telegraph.
  34. ^ Joelle Diderich (14 May 2017), Louis Vuitton Hosts Cruise 2018 Show in Kyoto, Japan Archived 19 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine Women's Wear Daily.
  35. ^ Joelle Diderich (16 March 2018), Louis Vuitton to Stage Cruise Show at Fondation Maeght Archived 20 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine Women's Wear Daily.
  36. ^ "League of Legends debuts True Damage, Louis Vuitton Prestige skins for World Championship". The Washington Post. 29 October 2019. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  37. ^ Bowles, Hamish (6 November 2012). "Bidding Balenciaga Farewell: Nicolas Ghesquière's Fifteen Years at the House". Vogue. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  38. ^ TIME 100: Nicolas Ghesquiere Kate Betts, 8 May 2006
  39. ^ "ACE Awards History". Accessories Council. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  40. ^ "British Fashion Awards 2014: The Winners". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  41. ^ Cathy Horyn (28 August 2005), How Nicolas Got His Groove Back Archived 31 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine T: The New York Times Style Magazine.
  42. ^ Alice Rawsthorn (24 March 2014), Julien Dossena Archived 31 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine W.
  43. ^ Pilar Vidal (1 July 2015), Pelayo Díaz y Nicolas Ghesquière han roto Archived 31 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine El Mundo.
  44. ^ Jack Flemming (28 June 2022), Hearst heiress sells Lautner’s famous Wolff House to Louis Vuitton’s director for $11 million Archived 10 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine Los Angeles Times.
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