Nicolas Ghesquière Can't Look at Alexander Wang's Balenciaga

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Now that Nicolas Ghesquière is settled in at Louis Vuitton, Style.com's Nicole Phelps got an inside look at how things are faring for the designer compared to his experience with Balenciaga. It sounds like Ghesquière is having a much better time at Louis Vuitton. "I want to build a wardrobe with the girls at Louis Vuitton," he told Phelps. "And if they invest in a skirt or a jacket or a dress, I make the promise not that it is never going to be completely démodé , or never out of fashion, but I make the commitment that I am never going to say, 'Ha-ha, everything you thought was good three months ago is now for the garbage.'" The more commercial nature of the Vuitton brand fits well with the new Ghesquière. At Balenciaga, he was known for highly conceptual designs which, as he puts it, are more fit for a museum.

Ghesquière has kept in regular contact with Marc Jacobs, whose shoes he is filling at Louis Vuitton. He even honored Jacobs at his first show for Vuitton last March. As for whether he and Alexander Wang, his successor at Balenciaga, are talking, not so much:

"With me and Marc, there is a high respect. I expressed it to Marc very early on. One day I will look at Balenciaga again, but to be honest, I have no curiosity for it at the moment. When we sort out a few problems, I will look at it with serenity and peacefully." (Balenciaga's parent company, Kering, and Ghesquière are settling a suit arguing that Ghesquière violated the terms of their separation agreement.) "I still think Balenciaga is a beautiful name, with a beautiful story, and I wish the best. My life is somewhere else, but I really cherish the moment I had with them."

· The Journey Begins Here [Style.com]
· Even the Most Respected Fashion News Bloggers Can't Get Tix to Balenciaga [Racked]
· Gisele Wore a Bald Cap for Balenciaga [Racked]