Nicolas Ghesquière - Designer, Creative Director of Louis Vuitton

[PDFSD]

What I find rather fascinating with him is the total alignment of his vision. Even if we go back to his Balenciaga years. The stores done with Dominique G-F also had the chaotic vibe. Even when we think about the sets of his shows at Balenciaga: a lot of clashes!
And it’s the same at Vuitton. He mix very baroque things with very modern things. And it’s quite under-decorated. There’s a great deal of emptiness in his houses, which probably allows him to move or host people.

I loved Marc Jacobs NYC home but it just looks like a very fancy and curated museum. Hard to imagine that there’s a dog in there lol.

I would love to see Miuccia’s house. I wonder if she uses some of her iconic prints in interior..

i 1000 % prefer marc and miuccia ´s house interiors there is live in them and it's not full on visual brand identity.

its mix of real life and collecting art not movie posters , old and new furniture mixed .
Mr Prada is milanese italian so her always old furniture from family mixed with new things added nonchalant but curated as well as is life.

NG has no taste in art he likes design but is typical half empty influencer home when the put all energy in the looks and esthetic but no idea of home decor or taste in life.

yes miuccia has elements that come back in prada stores miu miu wall fabric comes from one of the villa she still have that was a place the had first prada shows as well and then it turned to a miu miu office and showroom etc

her own apparent is where she grew up in she still lives and can walk from her place to prada HQ´s and she does walk sometimes to office with the security/driver not far behind.



these velvet sofa´s have been in prada stores as well for years
vanity fair

i like the office have a brutalist minimal but full of art (arte povera) every office or showroom has art and selected furniture design .




this is very her milanese bougie but with twist she knows the old world but won't be nostalgic about it ...its about creating culture .


Nicolas could never lol

 

[brandon J pierre]

Can someone make a threads with fashion designers and their homes.

 

[Kanzai]

Nicolas is not into art but he’s into “architecture”, which is way more cerebral and rational. I would say his lifestyle is very much like average intellectual straight/bi man who doesn’t work in fashion (architects, engineers, scientists etc). He’s actually a rare case in fashion lol, even Armani himself was very cliché intellectual male designer (hobby wise). Nicolas is like a Pacific Northwest/Japan nerd/geek, I can see it in him (isn’t it obvious though). He loves Oscar de Niemeyer, which is a green flag in my eyes.

NG has no taste in art he likes design but is typical half empty influencer home when the put all energy in the looks and esthetic but no idea of home decor or taste in life

 

[PDFSD]

Nicolas is not into art but he’s into “architecture”, which is way more cerebral and rational. I would say his lifestyle is very much like average intellectual straight/bi man who doesn’t work in fashion (architects, engineers, scientists etc). He’s actually a rare case in fashion lol, even Armani himself was very cliché intellectual male designer (hobby wise). Nicolas is like a Pacific Northwest/Japan nerd/geek, I can see it in him (isn’t it obvious though). He loves Oscar de Niemeyer, which is a green flag in my eyes.

I leave you in your fantasy about Nicolas. I leave it at that.

 

[alwaysademo]

Thanks @Lola701 for the article, I love that chair it's a Hill House chair. John Lautner was immortalised in fashion folklore in that Hannelore Knuts Vogue Italia story by Meisel early 2000s, that's where I discovered him anyhow.

@PDFSD Marc has really good taste in art and he started collecting contemporary really early on, before some of those artists (Peyton, Condo, Ed Ruscha) even became mega so props to him. Let's not even discuss Miuccia 1) she came from that milieu but 2) her wicked wit is further demonstrated in her art collection and house.
I find that you love to characterize Nicolas as 80s sci-fi though which I don't get cause its hardly his whole gamut, I think he's quite heavily influenced by classical references as well:

If I remember correctly one of his fav artists chez Balenciaga was Claudio Bravo, he's a hyperrealist that blends classical elements with modern scenarios in a vivid earthy palette:



Also one of his favorite architects is Gaudí where he showed the 25 cruise. I mean his taste is pretty eclectic and fluctuated quite heavily between Balenciaga and LV.
A house that does surprise me is Carla Fendi's, her taste was more modern that I expected.

 

[alwaysademo]

Architecture lover alert:



...at times too literally

 

[tricotineacetat]

All I will say is that I always thought it was very corny whenever designers openly reference an art exhibition as a direct inspiration source for the design of clothing. 😅

 

[PDFSD]

Thanks @Lola701 for the article, I love that chair it's a Hill House chair. John Lautner was immortalised in fashion folklore in that Hannelore Knuts Vogue Italia story by Meisel early 2000s, that's where I discovered him anyhow.

@PDFSD Marc has really good taste in art and he started collecting contemporary really early on, before some of those artists (Peyton, Condo, Ed Ruscha) even became mega so props to him. Let's not even discuss Miuccia 1) she came from that milieu but 2) her wicked wit is further demonstrated in her art collection and house.
I find that you love to characterize Nicolas as 80s sci-fi though which I don't get cause its hardly his whole gamut, I think he's quite heavily influenced by classical references as well:

If I remember correctly one of his fav artists chez Balenciaga was Claudio Bravo, he's a hyperrealist that blends classical elements with modern scenarios in a vivid earthy palette:

View attachment 1437655

Also one of his favorite architects is Gaudí where he showed the 25 cruise. I mean his taste is pretty eclectic and fluctuated quite heavily between Balenciaga and LV.
A house that does surprise me is Carla Fendi's, her taste was more modern that I expected.

I know NG looked at Goja or Velazquez paintings as well for his balenciaga fw 2008 as he went to the exhibition etc etc and yes i love Claudio Bravo as well and know of his influence on him and his team like MAS and Florent. also post and use his work.


Retro futurism in 60´s 70´s had also historical motives and artistic parts futurism is not only start line and space stuff , it often mix past and future as well.
also Kubrick is influence on him Kubrick’s 2001 & Barry Lyndon (a period movie)




even patti smith:



Sci fi is also mixing prehistoric stuff in a futuristic setting & style :



60´s 70´s 80´s scfi has also historical elements in it , and you can see how weak he is with artist when he tries to select one to do arty stuff on rtw or bags like his last one that failed in the pre collection , every art collab LV did recently are mostly Marc´s ones.
He is a kid that never grew up you can see he is poor in culture, he creates in a vacuum its all just esthetics , if its arty its as a mood board for the collection or store design or ad campaign concept.

His apartment with pierre hardy was also sparse and just retro design pieces don't remember any art as well typical gay that never grow up type place not much in house because they might move again and are mostly out never home etc.

Than you have the curators gay like RAF Pieter JWA Blazy that makes having art in house their whole intellectual identity.

 

[PDFSD]

Nicolas Ghesquière is crony his hauses as well the way he dress and what he designs and his hairstyle and botox included.
The old Ghesquière did not get better he only got more cornier/cringe.
For some one so obsessed with the future his stuff is retro as hell and he is not engaging with the times of now either.

The future is now.

 

[alwaysademo]

60´s 70´s 80´s scfi has also historical elements in it , and you can see how weak he is with artist when he tries to select one to do arty stuff on rtw or bags like his last one that failed in the pre collection , every art collab LV did recently are mostly Marc´s ones.
He is a kid that never grew up you can see he is poor in culture, he creates in a vacuum its all just esthetics , if its arty its as a mood board for the collection or store design or ad campaign concept.

His apartment with pierre hardy was also sparse and just retro design pieces don't remember any art as well typical gay that never grow up type place not much in house because they might move again and are mostly out never home etc.

Yay we like the same thing
I mean his whole approach is evidently collageist, his whole generation's creative mode is sampling, Miuccia too. Maybe because I am less fixated on first impressions (many artists I like make better things much later on) I don't tend to compare his old self with his new. If I feel it's still giving I'm still following.
I think you're spot on but also answered your own question here in the bold part to what you expressed earlier

I feel like he is always struggling with how he used to be the underdog genius darling and in what position he is now working for the biggest most commercial brand in the world and dipping his toes into marc jacobs world domination fame games.

He cant make up his mind you see alo with his video´s for LV he holds back in showing his process yet wants to be known that ist him behind LV womens as you have menswear cd's being rock stars Virgil and Pharrell.

I'm no Freud but we gotta remember it's not easy for anyone to get to his position, especially one with self-perceived humble beginnings so it's irrational to ask him to choose 1 lane, 1 box to stick to to make it more comprehensible to you or me... It's like someone asking you to dumb yourself down to make it easier for them to get you. or that they liked you better before when u were poorer and easier to fk with He's been through that whole Kering sitch too. I applaud his form of revenge, even the botox.

 

[PDFSD]

Yay we like the same thing
I mean his whole approach is evidently collageist, his whole generation's creative mode is sampling, Miuccia too. Maybe because I am less fixated on first impressions (many artists I like make better things much later on) I don't tend to compare his old self with his new. If I feel it's still giving I'm still following.
I think you're spot on but also answered your own question here in the bold part to what you expressed earlier



I'm no Freud but we gotta remember it's not easy for anyone to get to his position, especially one with self-perceived humble beginnings so it's irrational to ask him to choose 1 lane, 1 box to stick to to make it more comprehensible to you or me... It's like someone asking you to dumb yourself down to make it easier for them to get you. or that they liked you better before when u were poorer and easier to fk with He's been through that whole Kering sitch too. I applaud his form of revenge, even the botox.

we might but we don't see the same things in it lol wink wink

your mixing success story with artist integrity and creating in a vacuum all as one reason for his lack of better or modern work .

he should have all the success that comes with his job at LV that's not the issue. kering story is behind us as well thats commerce he was not poor either if you know his upbring.(Nicolas Ghesquière's father was a golf course manager. His father, French-speaking Belgian, managed a golf course in Loudun, France, where Ghesquière was raised. etc )

the issue i have he his not evolving when the future of today is more advanced than the future your selling you got to be honest and say in need to step my game up and redefine my work etc and i know he works with his inner circle team of yes man etc and he is unable to make like with the time we are living in.

if Blazy is hiding behind craft as modernity facade... NG is hiding behind the empty promise of futuristic design.
where is the development of seamless clothes , fabric that work with longevity properties , clothes that are streamlines and weightless, fabrics that are environmentally advanced, etc etc

all i see is movie costumes from zelda warrior to space odyssey 2.0 his old work that has more of a rawness and is more current than 99%of what he is putting out now with all the budget he has.

i am not against botox it just gringy to see how he plays the part.

you guys love it with all your glory 🙄 buy it! wear it! support it! cheer it! ....for me its not it right now.

 

[alwaysademo]

we might but we don't see the same things in it lol wink wink

your mixing success story with artist integrity and creating in a vacuum all as one reason for his lack of better or modern work .

he should have all the success that comes with his job at LV that's not the issue. kering story is behind us as well thats commerce he was not poor either if you know his upbring.(Nicolas Ghesquière's father was a golf course manager. His father, French-speaking Belgian, managed a golf course in Loudun, France, where Ghesquière was raised. etc )

the issue i have he his not evolving when the future of today is more advanced than the future your selling you got to be honest and say in need to step my game up and redefine my work etc and i know he works with his inner circle team of yes man etc and he is unable to make like with the time we are living in.

if Blazy is hiding behind craft as modernity facade... NG is hiding behind the empty promise of futuristic design.
where is the development of seamless clothes , fabric that work with longevity properties , clothes that are streamlines and weightless, fabrics that are environmentally advanced, etc etc

all i see is movie costumes from zelda warrior to space odyssey 2.0 his old work that has more of a rawness and is more current than 99%of what he is putting out now with all the budget he has.

i am not against botox it just gringy to see how he plays the part.

you guys love it with all your glory 🙄 buy it! wear it! support it! cheer it! ....for me its not it right now.

I look at these things the same way everyone does, on a screen with 2 eyes open, of course what you make of it is your call but I don't work in fashion design so maybe I don't share the same intensity. I do honestly like a few things from his last show.
On the art front though, I'll have similar passion discussing how a fave sells out, so I do sympathize on a certain level with your blind hatred here lol.

Your honest feelings about his work are ultimately not his responsibility. "Artist integrity" is also maybe a bit much... he's a fashion designer at LV. You commented once about how his stuff looks like they're made in a lab, a) someone like Brune looks terrific in them in her everyday life. Of course it's not for everyone but he's not working for Zara either so I don't understand the issue. b) asking him to throw completely in the bin his entire design vocab that he's developed for decades is ridiculous. As a creative you go all out before you rein it in and simplify. It's just the natural flow of things. And why does he have to restrict to 2-3 design elements when he has the means and the capability to play with more? You miss the live lounge feel but he chose stadium so maybe that ship has sailed? If you don't like a collection or two, there's always another one coming. If you don't like 15, maybe his design is just not meant for you.

My remark on his success has more to do with the John Lautner house a page back and you commenting on his lifestyle, but it obviously does effect artistic integrity. Also it's contradicting since your comment on Theyskens in his thread is also unfavorable when he goes for "artist integrity" instead of mainstream success (perhaps not even really his choice). Idk, I look at the work more than the person and I don't hate seeing people succeed so can't relate to any of that.

 

[Lola701]

i 1000 % prefer marc and miuccia ´s house interiors there is live in them and it's not full on visual brand identity.

its mix of real life and collecting art not movie posters , old and new furniture mixed .
Mr Prada is milanese italian so her always old furniture from family mixed with new things added nonchalant but curated as well as is life.

NG has no taste in art he likes design but is typical half empty influencer home when the put all energy in the looks and esthetic but no idea of home decor or taste in life.

yes miuccia has elements that come back in prada stores miu miu wall fabric comes from one of the villa she still have that was a place the had first prada shows as well and then it turned to a miu miu office and showroom etc

her own apparent is where she grew up in she still lives and can walk from her place to prada HQ´s and she does walk sometimes to office with the security/driver not far behind.

View attachment 1437563View attachment 1437564View attachment 1437565View attachment 1437567
View attachment 1437568View attachment 1437569
these velvet sofa´s have been in prada stores as well for years
vanity fair

i like the office have a brutalist minimal but full of art (arte povera) every office or showroom has art and selected furniture design .
View attachment 1437566
View attachment 1437570
View attachment 1437585

this is very her milanese bougie but with twist she knows the old world but won't be nostalgic about it ...its about creating culture .
View attachment 1437582

Nicolas could never lol

I have seen her office and the old images of her interior but I wonder if it has evolved.

I like Marc’s interior too but it’s not really the question to me. For example I prefer his apartment in Paris that was featured years ago that was less fancy and less stylized.

I’m very much into the idea of that sort of alignement or almost paradox between a designer’s work and their interior and how everything ties into the creative process.

Like Karl, the Quai Voltaire apartment couldn’t be more different to his house outside of Paris, and his other Parisian apartment but still there are similarities and they follow a kind of similar aesthetic vibe.
The same way that I was fascinated by the fact that he designed those very minimal collections in the late 90’s while living in the 18th century in his Parisian hotel particulier.

And maybe the only time his work and interior were fully aligned was in the 00’s where his house in Biarritz, the MonteCarlo apartment, the Parisian flat were totally modern.

With NG is a bit the same that I find interesting. There was always a sort of emptiness in his decoration even in the photos of his place with Pierre Hardy. He surely loves design, architecture, Art like a lot of designers but his aesthetic is really about the clash of eras.

I think Azzedine and him were really the ones to push in the forefront again the work of Pierre Paulin, which is very 70’s. Before the Parisian fashion and Art scene was very Putman or Gray.

And what I see in NG is that as time goes by, he pushes even harder his obsessions over clashes of eras in that idea of modernity.

It shows the spectrum of what modernity could look like.

Armani and Ralph Lauren have always had some sort of very modern and slick interiors, very timeless when there was sometimes something a bit surrané in their fashion.

Stefano for example had a very bourgeois apartment in Paris. It all made so much sense. Living near the Élysée, designing for Saint Laurent and Zegna and being a bourgeois himself…Total alignment.

I have always been fascinated by where Rick Owens decided to live for example. This man, that woman, that crowd in that area of Paris is so odd but it works so well.

I saw the apartment of Consuelo’s daughter. It’s so Marni it hurts. Kind of fabulous.

But then again as the discussion went into Art and things like that, sometimes a designer’s work, interior and taste are not necessarily in total alignment.
Azzedine and Gianni comes to mind as example. I’m not sure MGC’s interior and taste in Art are similar to her fashion.

Marc Jacobs for example loves contemporary Art. His interior is almost very classic in a Francois Catroux kind of aesthetic and his work in fashion goes from Miuccia Prada to Rei Kawakubo and when he is not that much inspired by them, is very classic American sportswear/preppy. And he is the guy running around with nails and a Birkin.

 

[Lola701]

Thanks @Lola701 for the article, I love that chair it's a Hill House chair. John Lautner was immortalised in fashion folklore in that Hannelore Knuts Vogue Italia story by Meisel early 2000s, that's where I discovered him anyhow.

@PDFSD Marc has really good taste in art and he started collecting contemporary really early on, before some of those artists (Peyton, Condo, Ed Ruscha) even became mega so props to him. Let's not even discuss Miuccia 1) she came from that milieu but 2) her wicked wit is further demonstrated in her art collection and house.
I find that you love to characterize Nicolas as 80s sci-fi though which I don't get cause its hardly his whole gamut, I think he's quite heavily influenced by classical references as well:

If I remember correctly one of his fav artists chez Balenciaga was Claudio Bravo, he's a hyperrealist that blends classical elements with modern scenarios in a vivid earthy palette:

View attachment 1437655

Also one of his favorite architects is Gaudí where he showed the 25 cruise. I mean his taste is pretty eclectic and fluctuated quite heavily between Balenciaga and LV.
A house that does surprise me is Carla Fendi's, her taste was more modern that I expected.

I totally understand what you meant here but also I think sometimes a designer’s work can be informed by their curiosity and their knowledge of fashion/costume history rather than a quote on quote affinity for a Particular Artist.

For me the looks of the SS2018 shows NG’s love for clashes but the jackets inform me more on his knowledge or research of costume and fashion history not a particular love for a period or an artist.

Some designers are more linear. They loves Mapplethorpe, they makes collections about sex, leather and a cold atmosphere.

Someone like Jean Paul Gaultier has more talked for example about fashion and pop culture than Art, architecture or anything.

It’s quite impossible for me for example to imagine what his interior or taste in Art would be and how those evolved.