Vetements Designer Named At Balenciaga

Dema Gvasalia - the Georgian designer who is the lead talent behind the collective that creates the Vetements label - has been appointed the creative director of Balenciaga. His first collection will be for autumn/winter 2016 in March.

"I am delighted to welcome Demna Gvasalia, a powerful emerging force in today's creative world, as artistic director of Balenciaga," François-Henri Pinault, president and CEO of Kering which owns Balenciaga, said today. "Demna Gvasalia embodies a unique approach to the profession, marked by a sociological observation of the wardrobe's essentials and the way he remains humble and rigorous in his creative work. I am convinced that he will lead Balenciaga to a successful future."

Gvasalia - who burst on to the scene along with his brother Guram, the other named designer behind Vetements, which was a finalist for the LVMH Prize in 2015 - may be less well-known than Wang was at the time of his appointment, but his pedigree is no less significant. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp, he launched his first collection at Tokyo Fashion Week in 2007, before working at Margiela, under the founder himself, and at Louis Vuitton.

Isabelle Guichot, president and CEO of Balenciaga, stated: "I am very pleased to welcome Demna Gvasalia as the artistic director of Balenciaga's collections. He has quickly emerged as the best choice for the new artistic direction of the maison. With his mastery of techniques, his expertise and fashion knowledge, in conjunction with his innovative and carefully considered approach, Demna Gvasalia adopts a unique vision of the designer's role today and thus recalls Cristóbal Balenciaga's own vision. I am confident that he will succeed in embracing Balenciaga's core values and developing them in harmony with today's global changes."

Perhaps surprisingly, considering the perceived difficulty that Wang had balancing his eponymous label with the top job at the house, Gvasalia will continue to design for Vetements. The brand, however, is based in Paris, meaning that the continental divide that kept Wang hopping between New York and Paris would no longer be an issue.

Another reason for raised eyebrows, despite his obvious talent, may be that Gvasalia is thought of as a very avant-garde designer in the mould of Margiela - while the other rumoured successors were all practised in the couture techniques that commentators felt would elevate the house after it became more accessible under sportswear expert Wang.