Nicolas Ghesquiere is Leaving Balenciaga, May Get Own Line at LVMH
Posted on November 6, 2012
The fashion world got a real shocker: PPR announced that Nicolas Ghesquiere is leaving Balenciaga. No one saw this coming, including many at the design house.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the spokesman for Balenciaga was completely surprised by the move saying, "Last week you have Sandy. This week you have Nicolas Ghesquiere leaves Balenciaga." The WSJ asked if he had just heard the news yesterday with everybody else to which he jokingly replied, "Read my lips."
PPR said the divorce was mutual, a "joint decision" by the parties. Ghesquiere has been at Balenciaga since 1997. November 30th will be his last day at the design house. No new designer has been named to take his place and Ghesquiere hasn't said what he is going to do next, nor has he made a comment on the news.
The New York Times reports that Ghesquiere has been offered his own line by Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. The Times quotes an insider in Paris that says Ghesquiere would have his own house which would be overseen by either Arnault's daughter Delphine or his son Antoine. Both of his children already work at the company.