Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Nicolas covering Systems
In the new bi-annual glossy System, Nicolas Ghesquiére speaks at length about his reasons for leaving Balenciaga last November.
He compares the house to Chanel or Prada, but laments not having "creative carte blanche" or a partner, which made him fell "too alone." "I never had a partner," the designer explained. "I had a marvellous studio and design team who were close to me, but it started becoming a bureaucracy and gradually became more corporate, until it was no longer even linked to fashion." More on the complications of running an international business in a creative field below.
It all became so dehumanised. Everything became an asset for the brand, trying to make it ever more corporate—it was all about branding. I don't have anything against that; actually, the thing that I'm most proud of is that Balenciaga has become a big financial entity and will continue to exist. But I began to feel as though I was being sucked dry, like they wanted to steal my identity while trying to homogenise things. It just wasn't fulfilling anymoreHead to Business of Fashion for the full interview reprinted.
· Nicolas Ghesquière Finally Speaks On Why He Left Balenciaga [BoF]
· Alexander Wang Is Indeed Headed to Balenciaga, WWD Says [Racked]
· Nicolas Ghesquière Is Leaving Balenciaga, So Let the Wild Speculation Begin [Racked]