Nicolas Ghesquière: 'Part of Me Wants to Break These Rules'

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After months of silence, Nicolas Ghesquiére is suddenly a chatty cathy. He snagged a second cover this month—Berlin's 032c—but rather than speaking to why he left Balenciaga, he's discussing where to go from here. But apologies if you were looking for closure on this story: He's as undecided as freshman liberal arts student.

As Nicolas tells the mag, "Ideally, I'd like to give myself a six-month break, to travel and discover things. I'm not sure it'll happen because some interesting projects are on the horizon. Given the projects and the offers I have on the table, the trick is to think about what is most inspiring, what can become a new way of working." So clearly the designer is in demand, but what's holding him back from committing to a project?

Nicolas on weighing rules vs. less rules, structure vs. creative freedom:

I'm preparing something, but I have choices to make. I will announce something when I am ready. Now is my time to question interseasonality—it's always the opposite season somewhere in the world—and fashion's need to be global while respecting the environment and local cultures and of course the usual six-month cycle for collections. I may decide to fulfill that mission again, and I'll enjoy it as I always have. Another part of me absolutely wants to break these rules. I may be putting myself in danger, but that's what I want these days. I enjoyed years of extreme comfort at Balenciaga. It's fantastic to harvest that status to explore in new ways, rather than sticking to a routine, even if it was the most comfortable and incredible, I couldn't be in a better position.

Per usual, Nicolas' Twitter is a barren landscape of non-information. Looks like we'll have to keep a nose to foreign magazine features for more updates.
· Nicolas Ghesquière to Appear on 032c Cover [WWD]
· Nicolas Ghesquiére on Balenciaga: "I Was Being Sucked Dry" [Racked]