Alexander Wang leaving Balenciaga

[saucer-like]

Hallelujah! I'm thrilled this nightmare has finally come to an end.

 

[florylate]

I am in the minority in that I liked a few of his collections during his short tenure at Balenciaga but I looked forward to Alexander Wang every season far more than I did to Balenciaga, whereas prior to NG's departure Balenciaga was in the top 3 most exciting shows...novel, interesting and revolutionary. Now it's just any other ordinary Parisian brand.

However, if this announcement was made prior to AM at Gucci I would care far less given Kering's track record for new hires. I still feel very indifferent because it's very unlikely that any other designer would have the same effect that NG for Balenciaga had.

 

[Marc10]

What Does Alexander Wang’s Reported Exit From Balenciaga Mean for the Business?

This morning’s WWD report suggests that Alexander Wang will soon exit Balenciaga. When reached for comment this morning, Kering would only confirm “that discussions are under way between Alexander Wang and Balenciaga/Kering regarding the renewal of the designer’s contract.” If the WWD article is accurate and Spring ’16 will be Wang’s last collection for the French house, Balenciaga would be the first thing Wang touched that didn’t turn to gold.

I don’t pretend to know the backstory. Is Kering unhappy with Balenciaga’s results, despite their upward rise? Does Wang want out to refocus his attention on his growing eponymous label? Is all of this merely tactics to improve the renewal terms for either side? Whatever the facts of the matter, from my vantage point, the customary three-year contract looks too short. Wang was gaining critical traction lately. If he hadn’t yet imbued Balenciaga with his own distinctive point of view on a level with that of his predecessor, Nicolas Ghesquière, he had grown newly confident.

Inheriting the creative director position from Ghesquière, one of fashion’s most beloved designers, was never going to be easy. A quick exit has the potential to tarnish Wang’s reputation as the industry’s golden boy, if not the bottom line at his own brand. Wang’s failure—perceived or actual—could make recruiting someone new at Balenciaga more difficult. What’s more, that someone new will have to stick, or else the label risks losing some of its own luster. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that WWD’s report indicated Kering might opt to go with someone internal or lesser known as Wang’s replacement.

To me, one of the most interesting side notes here is how quickly hiring an unknown has become a formula for success. Six months after Alessandro Michele had everybody scratching their heads with his first menswear collection for Gucci, he looks like the brand’s savior. But the industry’s rush to embrace Michele—it’s well deserved, I believe—doesn’t necessarily ensure the same kind of synergy will happen elsewhere.

Which brings up the topic of contenders who are better known. With Kering’s recent investment in the Christopher Kane and Altuzarra businesses, both of their names will no doubt come up. Could Kering lure Julien Dossena away from Puig’s Paco Rabanne, which he has lately put back on the map? (He has the advantage of having worked with Ghesquière at Balenciaga.) Whoever ultimately lands the gig, it should be their only project. If Balenciaga’s Wang era has any lesson to offer, it’s that building and maintaining the brand identities of two international labels (on two separate continents, in Wang’s case) is too large a task for one designer, even if he’s one of the most energetic ones we’ve got.

style

 

[coutugh]

Getting ready for Alessandro Michele II

 

[lemeray]

I liked Wang's first & last collection he designed for Balenciaga. But Nicolas shoes are the biggest fill to date. What he did was legendary for the house. I don't think anyone can ever out do what he did for Balenciaga...

 

[nataliaapple]

Loved Wang's debut collection. It went downhill from there. He'll be okay though. His eponymous label seems to be thriving.

 

[Petit Lucille]

This brand has turned into a commercial revolting door.

 

[donyan]

to be fair, when Ghesquiere arrived at Balenciaga nobody cared about the house anymore, he was able to build his own vision from scratch. They need someone with a vision and enough time to make it work . 15 years ago it was still possible to nurture and develop a brand, today , the results have to be immediate or else , which makes it almost impossible to be singular and creative .. hence the rise of casual 'clothes' at Luxury Brands , the SL/Gucci syndrome. The only question here is . what if customers get bored ?

 

[Nomar]

I actually liked most of Wang's work for the house and it was be sad to see him leave because it feels quite short. Still, his own label is thriving and I'll be fascinated to see who takes over the reins. I have a feeling it'll probably be someone a bit older with more experience.

 

[Marc10]

Welp. I think Wang's tenure wasn't nearly as bad as some people make out to be. Sure it wasn't revolutionary or highly exciting, but I think he did a solid job, much better than I expected. Having to fill Ghesquière's shoes was a nearly-impossible task for any designer that would come in.

I also think it's smart from Wang to focus more on his brand, better business for him. Maybe Kering will make an investment?

And about the succession... i'm almost sure they will go for an unknown designer, most likely from the house itself. Someone that has a different aesthetic than Nicolas. And best be sure they will also go for a full rebranding, YSL/Gucci style.

 

[disco54]

GOOD RIDDANCE , Wang was a total fail at Balenciaga.

I just hope I see the day Hedi leaves YSL.

 

[constanceMafioso]

Kering is ridiculous with their constant shuffling of designers. If I was a designer I'd never agree to work for one of their houses because you know you'll be out in about 5 years max.

Kering want money, they don't want any vision if it doesn't sell. They just don't care at all. It's like Wang can "design" basics and everything will be fine, because they still have accessories (designed by Ghesquiere).

Wang for Balenciaga was supposed to be a hit for Kering. They wanted someone young, who appeal to a younger audience, who was mainstream enough and who was able to make compromises. I don't think it succeeded.

Kering is a holding that has shares in the majority of these luxury companies and they are wholefully governed by the laws of the stock market, anyways, seem to let themselves be dominated by them.

Once Gucci got its revival, you could almost count the days of Wang as Chief Designer. That said, I'm quite surprised at such a radical move since Balenciaga only has like less than 5% share in the global sales for Kering in their luxury segment.

Unfortunately I can't find the revenue numbers for Balenciaga (even in Kering's last semestrial 2015 report). From that same last document however, revenue grew by +21.5% for brands outside YSL, Gucci and Bottega Veneta. I have a deep feeling that Balenciaga did not live up to potential quickly enough especially when Gucci, YSL and Bottega Veneta all rose by +11.8, +19.7 and +38.2% respectively.

Gucci's numbers though sealed Wang's fate without no doubt because the switch from Michele to Gianni brought quick successful results (for Gucci) something which Wang with Balenciaga, and by the laws of business, finance and marketing, was not able to bring (I would have to believe since weirdly, Kering does not communicate at all on the financial numbers of Balenciaga).

 

[Pricciao]

See if he can channel Tom Ford's hell I'm gonna do this in his final call, I still see potential in him to amaze people.

 

[gossiping]

i can't believe this was so soon, feels like he's not been there long but i did not like what he was doing

excited to see who they will bring in

 

[GivenchyHomme]

Good riddance!

gifsesc

 

[jescajade]

Good riddance!

gifsesc

 

[Yohji]

I would kill to see Stefano Pilati at Balenciaga.

 

[gazebo]

See Every Runway Look Alexander Wang Showed at Balenciaga

http://www.style.com/slideshows/slideshows/trends/fashion/2015/7/balenciaga-alexander-wang-every-look/slides

 

[Caffeine]

Well, this really isn't surprising considering that many of us on tFS thought that he was not the right fit when Wang was appointed.
Wang is a successful commercial designer, but the Balenciaga image was never commercial. This shouldn't have happened.
I have no idea who should be the next, but I'm hoping that he/she would have similarities to the young Ghesquiere.

 

[MyNameIs]

Wow, I can't tell if I'm surprised or not. On the one hand, for all the hype and talk Wang can generate for his namesake line, his output for Balenciaga was met with a muted response at best. The brand has kind of lost its prestige and edge. It stopped being the darling of the Paris FW. If I'm not mistaken, it wasn't even getting much chatter in tFS. While I don't think any of his collections there were truly awful like say Gucci or YSL of late, there was a noticeable drop in buzz they inspired when compared to those of his predecessor.

On the other hand, I wasn't expecting the switch to happen this soon. Were the sales really bad? This was quite a hyped up collaboration at the onset so I thought they'd ride it out for a few more years, especially since it wasn't an outright disaster. But I'm kind of impressed with the people at Balenciaga for realizing early it's not working and not being afraid to move on.