Balenciaga chooses Wang: goodbye to Haute Couture, welcome Prêt-à-Porter!
by Luca Imbimbo
And in the end it seems that he will win out… Who? Alexander Wang!
The rumor was from WWD. Balenciaga has confirmed it… The Nicolas Ghesquière‘s successor at the helm of the Maison Balenciaga will be the young American designer.
A lot of young designers entered the lists… Pedro Lourenco, Jack McCollough, Joseph Altuzarra, Bouchra Jarrar, Lazaro Hernandez, Olivier Theysken: the best of the fashion new generation!
To compete for the art director’s crown also Mary Katrantzou and his eccentric architecouture, J.W. Anderson, who instead signed with Versus, Natacha Ramsay, already a Ghesquière’s collaborator, and especially the highly acclaimed Christopher Kane, back from the recent separation with Versace. Nothing to do! The winner was the sporty-chic style, vaguely grunge, typically American of Wang…
Twenty-nine years. Taiwanese origins. Born and raised in San Francisco. After studying at Parsons School of Design in New York, in 2005 he founds his Fashion House. Worshiped by Anna Wintour, in 2008 he wins the Fashion Fund Award organized by Vogue and receives numerous awards from the Council of Fashion Designers. In the same year’s F/W Collection he uses the black. In the next one he screams “They wanted color, they will have color!” and dares with bright shades. He creates a bag – the It-bag Rocco Style – which becomes iconic. He launches its T by Alexander Wang, a line of t-shirt that in a short time is a huge hit. Its strong point? Undoubtedly the accessories!
Basic cuts. A wise use of natural materials: cashmere, linen, cotton. Clean lines. Alexander Wang is known to give his creations a more metropolitan, informal, casual look… Was even this approach so different from Ghesquière’s trendy haute couture to please the Ppr Group that manages the brand? Maybe, has been this reckless theatricality, the exuberant artistic flair of the French preferred to a more easy and responsive to market needs design? At the time, the reasons that lie behind this decision are still unknown…
Reckoning with the fashion world’s Gota will not be so easy for Wang… Treading the Paris runways will be a hard challenge… Heavy, very heavy is the legacy of his predecessor. We are confident… That fresh and realistically prêt-à-porter style that distinguishes him might actually be the best choice… Nothing to add… Cristóbal has his successor… Congratulation!
James Sorrentino by Drew Whittam
Neural Signals
actual
Balenciaga chooses Wang: goodbye to Haute Couture, welcome Prêt-à-Porter!
previous
James Sorrentino by Drew Whittam
next
Neural Signals
Courrèges, the French fashion brand currently creatively directed by Nicolas Di Felice, presents its Resort 2026 collection.
Diesel’s 2025 Pride capsule collection, created with the Tom of Finland Foundation, is all about freedom, freedom to express yourself, to love who you want, and to be unapologetically you.
Andrii Barabash at Elite photographed by Adrian Cuerdo and styled by Matíos & Cesar, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
PUMA has once again joined forces with French designer Louis Gabriel Nouchi, this time revisiting the 1999 Mostro Mule.
Over fifty emerging Finnish designers presented their collections at the Amos Rex SS25 fashion show, held in the courtyard of Helsinki’s Amos Rex museum on May 23rd. The event formed part of Fashion in… »
Resort 2026 by DSQUARED2 is rebellion at its purest!
Japanese artist Kunimasa Aoki has won the 2025 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize for his terracotta sculpture Realm of Living Things 19.
This collaboration reflects Paloceras’ approach to eyewear design, where technical precision meets handcrafted detail.
Last week, Helsinki became a focal point for fashion innovation as Aalto University presented its graduating students’ work at Näytös25.
Gal Nell Dahan debuts in menswear with his Fall/Winter 2025 collection, characterized by timelessness, rich fabrics, and sustainability.
This summer, the Monte-Carlo Beach Club has a new look, thanks to Jacquemus.
Nike’s latest running shoe, the Structure 26, arrives with a clear mission to deliver serious stability without sacrificing comfort.
Helsinki has long been an incubator for avant-garde creativity, and this year’s Fashion in Helsinki solidified its reputation as a nexus where fashion and art dissolve into one another.
The shoe takes inspiration from mid-century track runners but gives them Margiela’s signature deconstructed touch.
YSL Beauty has announced actor and musician Aron Piper as its new ambassador for Spain and Portugal. The 27-year-old star perfectly embodies the brand’s values of authenticity and individuality, aligning with the ethos of… »
The launch campaign, “EVERYTHING NOW – LEAVE NOTHING UNEXPRESSED,” captures the energy of a generation that treats every day as a chance to reinvent.
In a world that still asks “Does anyone even want to be a man anymore?”, their answer is a middle finger wrapped in glitter.
It began with a disruption: intentional, visual, and unapologetic. GLITCH wasn’t designed to follow clean lines or play it safe.
The organisation in charge of the prestigious ANDAM fashion competition unveils the list of finalists for the 36th edition.
Instead of just taking backstage shots himself, photographer Joonas S’Diri handed his phone to the models and let them take selfies.
Junya Watanabe joins forces with Alpha Industries to deliver a biker jacket defined by military rigor and Japanese avant-garde simplicity.
Granado teams up with Guimarães Rosa Institute and the French Institute for the fourth edition of ABERTO.
Indeed, after the calm that the last two months have brought (especially for those who work in the industry), it’s back to what, for some, is the most dreaded date: Fashion Week, which is not just a week, but a… »
The event highlighted a mix of established brands and new designers, all recognized for their focus on sustainability, creativity, and meaningful design.
The capsule collection takes the duo’s chaotic, genre-defying energy and turns it into wearable rebellion.
Persol’s Latest Drop is a Love Letter to Cinema and Steve McQueen
Maksym Rassokha captured by the lens of Oleg Borisuk and styled by Kiss Mark, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
To mark its anniversary, LOEWE is releasing the Puzzle 10 collection, a tribute to a decade of innovation.
For their 20th anniversary, END. joins forces with Aries to drop Arcade, a capsule collection built on nostalgia for 90s gaming culture, drift racing, and the gritty charm of seaside arcades.
