About this episodeNicolas Ghesquière discusses his career trajectory from Balenciaga to Louis Vuitton, emphasizing the irreplace…AI summary
Nicolas Ghesquière discusses his career trajectory from Balenciaga to Louis Vuitton, emphasizing the irreplaceable emotional impact of live fashion shows and the importance of balancing heritage with innovation. He shares that his design philosophy centers on creating 'new classics' through functional silhouettes and leveraging brand archives, while maintaining a neutral personal uniform to focus on creative clarity.
Key takeaways 5
Live fashion shows are critical because they offer a unique, one-time emotional experience that cannot be replicated by digital media or photos.
Ghesquière's approach at Louis Vuitton involves shrinking the iconic trunk to create the 'Petite Malle', demonstrating how to innovate within a heritage brand by reinterpreting existing codes.
The motorcycle bag at Balenciaga was initially rejected by management for being too specific, but Ghesquière persisted, proving that iconic items often require long-term vision rather than instant gratification.
Wearing a neutral 'uniform' (like his Levi's) allows designers to maintain clarity and neutrality amidst the chaos of fabrics, colors, and trends in the studio.
Ghesquière believes that fashion should evoke emotion and polarization ('love it or hate it') rather than tepid acceptance, as true fashion creates evolution in taste over time.
Notable quotes 4AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.
“The fashion shows are important because they happen only once. There's no two same fashion shows and that's very important to understand that because this emotion that you will share at that moment during the fashion show will happen only once.”
▶ 0:18Explaining why live runway presentations remain essential despite digital alternatives.
“You have to dream and do your drawings and then you have to know how to do a great fittings... how you have to be very pragmatic and how you have to be very detach and very artistic.”
▶ 10:29Describing the mentorship he received from Jean Paul Gaultier regarding the balance of freedom and technique.
“It's the gymnastic of the eye. It's so important because it's also what creates evolution in your taste... You are not always seduced in the first like look, but then you are curious about it and then you want to wear it few days after or weeks after.”
▶ 5:24Defining his philosophy on creating silhouettes that become classics through a process of learning to appreciate them.
“I was scared of course. I was kind of terrified too. Of course, it's a big house. It's also it's the largest luxury brand in the world house in the world and um and and and fashion is is growing very fast there. So, it's it's also uh a lot of pressure, but it's a great pressure.”
▶ 24:19Reflecting on the emotional weight and pressure of joining Louis Vuitton.
Chapters & Sections (18)▼
0:11Fashion Show Emotion and New York Inspirationchapter2
3:02Designer Post-Show Reflection and Archive Function
4:31Silhouettes, Innovation, and Designer Uniforms
7:13Childhood, Drawing, and Jean Paul Gaultier Mentorshipchapter1
10:10Jean Paul Gaultier's Lessons on Freedom and Technique
12:14Balenciaga Career and Motorcycle Bagchapter2
14:19Early Balenciaga Career and Success
15:49Motorcycle Bag Rejection and Success
17:55Leaving Balenciaga and Joining Louis Vuittonchapter2
20:34Negotiating Louis Vuitton Appointment
21:59Sketching the Petite Malle and Securing the Role
23:35Louis Vuitton Design Philosophy and Monogram Legacychapter6
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