Scottish designer Christopher Kane has allegedly signed on as the new creative director at Balenciaga, following on from French designer Nicolas Ghesquiere’s abrupt departure from the house earlier this month. A MAGAZINE made an announcement this morning on their Facebook page that is yet to be confirmed by the Parisian label but has been bolstered by reports in the Nouvel Observateur, French Grazia (so it must be true then) and on Twitter (which, as always, offers incontrovertible proof about all things fashion).
If initial reports are true, the Central Saint Martins graduate is an excellent choice for the house. Acclaimed for his innovation in design and use of experimental textiles, and with an aesthetic that falls in close alignment with the Balenciaga DNA, Kane is doubtlessly a perfect match for the house, where his own unique brand of easily-identifiable, slightly twisted, off-kilter elegance would fit like a padded black ‘Join A Weird Trip‘ satin sweatshirt; that is, a little wrong, but oh-so-right. It’s unclear how Kane’s close ties with Gianni Versace S.p.A (where he worked under the tutelage of Donatella Versace and helped relaunch the company’s secondary line, Versus) would affect his transitioning into the role as creative director at Balenciaga; a position in which he would be subject to the fiscally-minded whims of the PPR luxury fashion group, whose demands reportedly made Ghesquiere’s position at the storied house no longer tenable.
Anyway, fashion logistics, amirite? Here’s a look at Christopher Kane’s standout show from London Fashion Week SS13, in which the designer played with horror film motifs to create the fashion equivalent of Dr. Frankenstein’s monster – le freak, c’est chic. We’ll keep you updated if and when things are made Facebook official between houses Kane and Balenciaga.
UPDATE: According to The Cut, Balenciaga have denied the Kane rumours to French Elle. A Kane spokesperson also made a similar statement to WWD, with the latter saying: “Rumours surrounding Christopher Kane’s appointment as creative director of Balenciaga are unfounded.” The decision will be announced in two or three weeks.
