A futurist and all the rage

Each Balenciaga show is an event where stars and the happy few jostle to applaud Nicolas Ghesquière's revolutionary creations.

 

“Absolute perfection ” says Vogue. “Genius” according to Time, who listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in 2006. “The most innovative designer of his generation”, in the opinion of Suzy Menkes, the International Herald Tribune's influential fashion editor… Nicolas Ghesquière is being lionised by practically the whole fashion tribe, a feat rare enough to merit special mention.

With each new collection, he dazzles public and critics alike with his daring shapes, not hesitating to innovate where many content themselves with repetition.

 

Born in 1971, the year Coco Chanel died and one year before the passing of Cristobal Balenciaga, Ghesquière is a prodigy of the cut and materials. His latest 2008-2009 autumn-winter collection, presented in February in Paris, has proved it yet again in style. His vision of the feminine silhouette defies trends, ignores fashions and asserts itself two steps ahead of the game. Half warrior, half creature from outer space, the Balenciaga woman is a mixture of austerity and science fiction. The young stylist's taste for futurism is reflected in sharp outlines and structured, almost aerodynamic cuts. He makes surprising use of classic cloths, “treated using high-tech processes which make them look reinforced”, explains Nicolas Ghesquière. This material made by injecting neoprene foam between two layers of noble cloth, blends soft and stiff, giving it a perfect drape.

His manner of paying tribute to the master Balenciaga is never nostalgic, never retro, even though Ghesquière has a thorough grasp of the basic tenets of the house style: volume and the art of cutting.

This egregious talent also knows how to surround himself with the right amount of celebrities to add a little extra to his aura. He was Nicole Kidman's choice to design her wedding dress. Charlotte Gainsbourg is a devoted friend, as is Jennifer Connelly, who agreed to pose for the Balenciaga 2008 Spring-Summer campaign. The well hyped Kate Moss and the artist Cindy Sherman are among his faithful customers. Isabelle Huppert, seen wearing Balenciaga at the last Cannes Film Festival, and Catherine Deneuve regularly attend his shows. A dream cast which shows that Nicolas Ghesquière is as much a past master of communication and image as of design.