Demna Gvasalia, who is leaving Balenciaga to become the artistic director of Gucci, after being named the winner of the International Ready-to-Wear Designer award at the 2016 British Fashion Awards in London. (Credit: Daniel Leal/AFP)
"Demna appointed artistic director of Gucci! Wow!" fashion critic Suzy Menkes posted last Wednesday on her Instagram account. How to interpret this "Wow?" Surprise? Admiration? Astonishment? Probably all three at once.The admiration stems from Kering's extreme choice to revive a brand that was once the absolute jewel of the group before experiencing a mysterious decline. Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia is part of the house, having been the artistic director of Balenciaga since 2015, another flagship brand of Kering.The fortysomething, who experienced USSR restrictions during his adolescence, became passionate about fashion through German magazines, following his family's exile in Europe. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, he quickly made a name for himself by founding his brand,...
"Demna appointed artistic director of Gucci! Wow!" fashion critic Suzy Menkes posted last Wednesday on her Instagram account. How to interpret this "Wow?" Surprise? Admiration? Astonishment? Probably all three at once.The admiration stems from Kering's extreme choice to revive a brand that was once the absolute jewel of the group before experiencing a mysterious decline. Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia is part of the house, having been the artistic director of Balenciaga since 2015, another flagship brand of Kering.The fortysomething, who experienced USSR restrictions during his adolescence, became passionate about fashion through German magazines, following his family's exile in Europe. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, he quickly made a name for himself by founding his brand,...
