Nicolas Ghesquiere by Steven Meisel

We were shocked and a bit saddened today to hear of Nicolas Ghesquiere‘s departure from Balenciaga. After 15 years at the legendary house, Ghesquiere is parting ways with the luxury powerhouse, a label he helped become one of the most influential and respected in the business. Though we know this is likely the start of an exciting new beginning (let the rumors begin) we can’t help but look back at a few of our absolute favorite Balenciaga moments, from the very first collection to those infamous leggings. Take a look at our favorites and let us know yours in the comments.

THE REVIVAL

In 2012 it seems like there are new designers shuffling in to breathe life into old houses every few months, that wasn’t so much the case back in 1997. At 25 after assisting designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and paying his dues behind the scenes at several brands, Ghesquière came to Balenciaga to design for the brand’s Japanese licensing partner. Hardly the most glamourous gig – but his talent was evident and soon he found himself creative director of a brand that had yet to rediscover its footing. His first show back in S/S 98 changed all that, with a darkly chic update on the brand’s identity that made the fashion press stand up and take notice. View the collection in full for yourself at Balenciaga.com.

THE BAG

Seasonal styles of the popular Balenciaga bags

It bags come and go, but modern classics are very rare indeed. Ghesquière knocked the ball out of the park when he launched Balenciaga’s Lariat bag in 2000, the oft imitated but never duplicated style has been seen on the arm of everyone from Mary-Kate Olsen to Carine Roitfeld and is still going strong.

THE GAINSBOURG CONNECTION

Nicolas Ghesquiere and Charlotte Gainsbourg by Jean Paul Goude for Harper’s Bazaar

Twilight cutie Kristen Stewart may be the latest actress to catch Ghesquière’s eye, but the original Balenciaga-fille has got to be Charlotte Gainsbourg, a woman whose idiosyncratic beauty and avant-garde career choices mirror the spirit of Ghesquière’s boundary breaking aesthetic. Serving as both muse and face of the line’s signature fragrances, Gainsbourg is a fixture in the Balenciaga front row and in the brand’s iconography.

THE FLOWERS

Jennifer Connolly for Balenciaga S/S 08 by David Sims

It is hard to go back through Ghesquière’s 15 years at Balenciaga and pick the most memorable collections, each collection has its own merits but there are a few that take on special significance. S/S 2008′s floral explosion remains one of the most daring and influential, just when we thought we knew what to expect we got hit with a strong dose of flower power. Reactions to the collection may have been divisive, but it jumpstarted the current craze for bold, head-to-toe print and has been replicated by everyone from H&M to Celine.

THE ARCHIVES

Cristobal Balenciaga Cape, 1963 – Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere F/W 2006 cape on Coco Rocha

Every designer working at a storied house has access to a wealth of archival inspiration, but only a select few put it to good use. Ghesquière was always adept at taking Cristobal’s shapes and points of reference, then modernizing them, either with subtle changes or grand re imaginings. Take a look at how Cristóbal’s 1963 cape compared to the oversized brocade cape from the F/W 06 show.

MOD MOMENTUM

Freja Beha Erichsen for Balenciaga F/W 05 by David Sims

Sixties style mod looks often found a place on Ghesquière’s runways and made for some of the most memorable looks; who can forget the mod touches in the F/W 05 and F/W 06 collections?

MARIE AMELIE

Marie Amelie’s interpretation of Balenciaga in Strict Elegance from Interview – Ph. Craig McDean

As much as we love Nicolas’ work, all the credit for Balenciaga’s longstanding cultural impact can’t rest solely on his shoulders. As the brand’s stylist, muse and loyal supporter, Marie-Amélie Sauvé has shaped the Balenciaga look for years on the runway and in numerous editorials. Some of our favorite Balenciaga moments occurred while looking at her artful and creative interpretations of that look in the pages of magazines like Interview and Vogue Paris.

i-ROBOT

Kate Moss by Sølve Sundsbø for Numero Tokyo‘s inaugural issue.

Perhaps the singularly most infamous pair of leggings in history and certainly one of the most iconic Balenciaga pieces of all time. How many leggings find their way onto the bodies of Terence Koh, Kate Moss and Beyoncé Knowles? Not to mention the omnipresent place these leggings held in fashion edits for nearly a year. We love it when Balenciaga goes on a sci-fi streak!

THE GIRLS 

Balenciaga S/S 2002 by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

Every season we’ve looked forward to see which beauties would be featured in the Balenciaga campaign and to date we’ve yet to be disappointed. Whether it is a bonafide supermodel like Gisele Bundchen, or Christy Turlington or a fresh crop of brand new faces, Balenciaga always goes for the unexpected and remains one of the few brands whose campaigns can really launch a compelling face.

THE COPYCATS

The one thing we’ll miss most about Ghesquire at Balenciaga is his ability to kickstart a design trend. There are whole websites devoted to looks cribbed from Balenciaga and while all designers get inspired by each other every now and then it was always amusing to see who was drawing inspiration from Ghesquire.

THE EDITORIALS

There were and are so many great editorial images that involved Balenciaga, but we’ll end on this great shot of Gemma Ward by Nick Knight for Pop Magazine.

Some collections are made for editorial greatness, on the runway they’re good but when a talented team gets ahold of things the stories those garments can tell are limitless. One collection that has found new life editorially is Comme des Garcons‘ excellent fall/winter showing. The exaggerated proportions, bold patterns and plays on dimension have made for some truly striking imagery. Stylists seem to love playing with Rei Kawakubo‘s artful creations, and there are a few looks that keep popping up in magazines month after month. Whether they’re worn by the likes of style legend Iris Apfel, transformed into samurai gear for Meghan Collison, or made part of David Sims‘ stark imagery, it is impossible to miss a CdG piece. Take a look back at some of the most memorable uses of the collection thus far and see how different stylists dealt with some of the more popular pieces.

Meghan Collison by Craig McDean, styled by Karl Templer in Interview

by Sarah Moon, styled by Jacob K for 10 Magazine

Meghan Collison by Fabien Baron, styled by Karl Templer for Interview

Cara Delevingne by Jean Baptiste Mondino, styled by Carine Roitfeld for CR Fashion Book

Saskia de Brauw by Mario Sorrenti, styled by Emmanuelle Alt for Vogue Paris

Erjona Ala, Lida Fox, Lula Osterdahl, Ophelie Rupp and Ros Georgiou by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia

Magdalena Langrova by Sebastian Kim, styled by Katie Mossman in Vogue Germany

Kati Nescher by Mario Sorrenti, styled by Joe McKennafor Vogue Paris

Dorothea Barth Jorgensen by Charlotte Wales for Vision China, styled by Clare Byrne.

Laura Kampman by Philippe Vogelenzang, styled by Jos van Heel in Vogue Netherlands

Franzi Mueller by Mel Bles, styled by Vanessa Reid in Pop Magazine

Iris Apfel by Jeff Bark, styled by Robbie Spencer for Dazed & Confused

Kasia Struss by Knoepfel & Indlekofer for WSJ

Anais Pouliot by Paolo Roversi, styled by  in Purple Fashion

Mackenzie Drazan by Mikael Jansson styled by Karl Templer for Interview

Kati Nescher by David Sims for American Vogue

Fashion shows are well and good, but the true test of a collection’s impact is often played out in the editorial pages. When you have multiple editors reaching for the same pieces over and over again you know a designer has hit a nerve. Even when the styling itself isn’t that noticeably different between images, there are always key changes in presentation that separate fashion stories; whether it is the model choice, the manner in which the photographer chose to present the garment, or even something as simple as color vs. black and white, each team puts its own special stamp on things. Take a look at the way in which different magazines have interpreted two of the most popular pieces within the collection and let us know who you think pulled it off best.

Look No. 48  

Black fitted cashmere top with a black duchess satin skirt embroidered with electric blue flowers.

Saskia de Brauw by Daniel Jackson for Vogue Germany, stylist Christiane Arp

Aymeline Valade by Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue Japan, stylist Melanie Ward

Saskia de Brauw by Ruth Hogben for Another Magazine, stylist Katie Shillingford

Karlie Kloss by Eric Guillemain for Sunday Times Style Magazine, stylist Lucy Ewing

Hanaa Ben Abdesslem by Michelle Ferrara for Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, stylist Elaine Lloyd Jones | Suki Waterhouse by Marc Hom for Tatler, stylist Deep Kailey

Stef Van Der Laan by Luca Guadagnino for CR Fashion Book, stylist Carine Roitfeld

NiNi in Vogue China / Thana Kuhnen by Marcelo Krasilcic for L’Officiel

Look No. 8

Blue and pink embroidered cut-off ballgown with black cigarette pants

Keira Knightley by Mario Testino for American Vogue, stylist Grace Coddington

Milla Jovovich by Peter Lindbergh for Vogue Italia | Saskia de Brauw by Ruth Hogben for Another Magazine

Dior couture illustration by Ignasi Monreal for Spanish V Magazine

Aymeline Valade by Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue Japan, stylist Melanie Ward

The ads keep on coming, check out a few more of our faves from the season – take a look back at our previous campaign favorites post too.

Balenciaga

While we can’t imagine either Nicolas Ghesquière or Steven Meisel spending a lazy weekend at the shore, the Balenciaga campaign is set in such an idyll. Fresh faces Anniek Kortleve, Linn Arvidsson, Hirschy Hirschfelder, Julier Bugge, Juliet Ingleby and Rosie Tapner lay out on the dunes in those eccentric looks from F/W.

Chanel

Simple, clean and led by a stellar cast, Chanel’s fresh ads feature Kati Nescher, Lindsey Wixson & Cora Emmanuel as styled by Carine Roitfeld. Naturally, Karl Lagerfeld is behind the camera – which depending on your perspective you either love or hate, that said the casting on this is flaw free.

Dolce & Gabbana

A taste of Italian nostalgia shot by Giampaolo Sgura and featuring Monica Bellucci, Bianca Balti and Bianca Brandolini – each image feels like a still from a Pasolini film.

Valentino

Valentino once again gives us a vision of pure class from the iconic Deborah Turbeville. Elegantly color coordinated looks on Jac Jagaciak, Caroline Brasch Nielsen and Frida Gustavsson - what’s not to love?

Fendi

When you have Joan Smalls and Karl Lagerfeld you don’t really need much else. With the natural setting and powerful poses, this new ads remind us a bit of Anja Rubik‘s S/S 10 ads for the luxe line. 

Tired of seeing the same ol’ faces on the covers of your magazine, take a look at the brand new V Magazine for a dose of freshness. Tapping into the pulse of what’s current in the worlds of modeling & music, V serves up 3 covers shot by Sebastian Faena, styled with eye-catching designer looks  by Carine Roitfeld and finished off with a touch of Yadim‘s makeup magic. Featuring runway it-girls Thairine Garcia, Kati Nescher, Ava Smith, Stef Van Der Laan, Daniela Braga and music stars of the moment Sky Ferreira, Grimes & Charli XCX, the covers are completely now.

Every top tier brand ushers out a new campaign each season, but only a select few push creative boundaries instead of just pushing product. With fall ads launching earlier than ever (remember the days of opening up September Vogue and experiencing new ads for the very first time) there are already several ads that impress us with their unique interpretation of their brand’s message. Take a look at our picks for most intriguing ads so far and be sure to share your selections in the comments!

Kenzo

The brand’s thrilling reboot continues with Jean Paul Goude breathing new life into the fall campaign imagery. Xiao Wen Ju & Simon Sabbah are connected in these cheeky reversible shots with a neon Kenzo logo flashing in the background. Goude’s image has instant visual impact and is a fun showcase for those cool Humberto Leon and Carol Lim designs.

Raf Simons
In case you had any doubt’s about Raf Simons’ ability to be subversive check out the striking new f/w ads by Pierre Debusschere starring Yannick Abrath. The impressive sculptural shots are a sight to behold, as is the corresponding campaign video that brings the imagery to life with beautifully abstract visuals.

RAF SIMONS RUN FALL RUN from 254⚡FOREST on Vimeo.

Mulberry

The fuzzy-wuzzies from Where the Wild Things Are invade Tim Walker‘s fantastical ads for Mulberry. The ads otherworldly vibe is only heightened by the addition of fashion’s favorite pixie, Lindsey Wixson and Jane How‘s sleek styling.

Prada

All the things that made the show so memorable are served up with glossy perfection in Steven Meisel‘s ultra-luxe ads. Vanessa Axente, Magdalena Frackowiak, Madison Headrick, Elza Luijendijk, Iselin Steiro and Anne Vyalitsyna sport the dip-dyed extensions and gilded accessories with panache.

Louis Vuitton

Putting that one of a kind Louis Vuitton train to good use Steven Meisel shoots a cast of it girls for the brand’s fall ads.  Elena Bartels, Erjona Ala, Franzi Mueller, Hedvig Palm, Julia Nobis, Mackenzie Drazan, Magda Laguinge, Marie Piovesan, Marina Heiden, Ros Georgiou shine in those signature oversized hats.

Givenchy

It is hard to beat an ad with fashion by Carine Roitfeld, images by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and a fresh cast including Stella Tennant, Joan Smalls, Daniela Braga, Stef Van Der Laan, Rodrigo Braga, Simone Nobili and Jarrod Scott. Givenchy’s campaign is all about motion and movement, be sure to check out the behind the scenes video to see how those action shots came together.

It is no secret that fashion frequently cribs from cinema for editorial inspiration and in the latest Vogue Paris, Terry Richardson recreates the look and feel of John Cassavetes’ film, Gloria. With Joan Smalls taking on the titular role and Géraldine Saglio styling, the VP version of things is considerably more glamourous, but the story is essentially the same – former mob mistresses becomes accidental guardian of a young boy. On the big screen that means shoot outs and grit and in the pages of Vogue that means playground trips and bright red Valentino gowns.

Both the edit and its inspiration are heavy on early 80s / late 70s chic, but we wouldn’t have minded if Joan went all badass and started taking down mobsters. We know the era of Emmanuelle Alt means that Vogue Paris is kindler and gentler, but with source material this fierce it seems a shame not to take things to the next level.

Carine Roitfeld by Mario Sorrenti for MAC – this marks the first time Sorrenti has shot for MAC!

Think of this as a Biz meets Beauty Bytes moment – in a move that should please eyeliner afficianados everywhere Carine Roitfeld has teamed with MAC to create a limited edition color collection “with a focus on eyes and brows that reflect Carine’s signature look: smoky eye, bold brows and nude lips.” Sounds brilliant and perfect for the expected Fall 2012 release date, certain to coincide with the launch of Roitfeld’s magazine CR Fashion Book.

LVMH’s Bernard Arnault invests in French label Maxime Simoens – major coup for the relative newcomer and a move that is certain to raise his profile!

Even if you aren’t a blushing bride, there were some interesting trends happening during NY’s Bridal Fashion Week. Vera Wang went for crimson with a round of bright red gowns, Oscar de La Renta also showed red looks, but the highlight of his show were the Spanish influenced gowns topped off with mantilla veils.

Who says fashion editors can’t do it all? British Vogue’s Alexandra Shulman managed to write a novel while editing one of the world’s biggest magazines. We’re impressed!

Can you break up with a label? The New York Times seems to think so -Elle‘s Anne Slowey details post-pregnancy her breakup with Balenciaga, Junya Watanabe and Comme des Garçons.

Ever wonder how the Calvin Klein brand stays ahead of the curve? Find out in WWD’s lengthy and interesting interview with Tom Murry, president and chief executive officer of Calvin Klein Inc.