nicholas ghesquiere

Nicolas Ghesquière's departure from Balenciaga was one of the biggest fashion stories of 2012. After keeping mum on the topic for several months, the designer has opened up to System Magazine — a new glossy whose first issue was guest-edited by his friend, stylist Marie-Amélie-Sauvé — about what made him leave.

In an excerpt of the interview published by The Business of Fashion, Ghesquière told journalist Jonathan Wingfield that clashing with the business side on what kind of products to make and where to sell them contributed to his unhappiness there.

"They wanted to open up a load of stores but in really mediocre spaces, where people weren't aware of the brand. It was a strategy that I just couldn't relate to," he said in the interview. "It was just so frustrating. Everything was like that."

More on why Ghesquière left the brand, here.

All the bits fit to print, here in our daily news roundup.

• Nicolas Ghesquière's first tweet features a picture of a Star Wars stormtrooper helmet. [Twitter]

Thank you to all of you for such a fantastic welcome ! twitter.com/TWNGhesquiere/…

— Nicolas Ghesquiere (@TWNGhesquiere) January 4, 2013

• Tory Burch became a billionaire in the settlement agreement she reached with her ex-husband, Chris Burch, on New Year's Eve. [Bloomberg]
• Louis Vuitton has tapped fashion illustrator Kerrie Hess to create paper dolls inspired by the brand's Spring 2013 collection. [Fashion Foie Gras]
• Hanne Gaby doesn't pack much — or at all — before going on a journey. Unless, of course, she's headed off to Fashion Week. [i-D Online]
• Montblanc will open a pop-up shop at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington DC during President Obama's inauguration festivities. [WWD]
• What do Heidi Klum, Marc Jacobs, and Karl Lagerfeld have in common? They're all 5'10". [Racked]
• Macy's lawsuit against Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and J.C. Penny is set to go to trial next month. [WWD]
• In the latest issue of Elle UK, Anja Rubik reveals that a picture, at its most basic level, is about sexuality. [Modelinia]

Those stories and more here, in our daily news roundup.

>> LVMH is taking its time with the announcement of Dior's new designer, and it sounds like the decision still has yet to be made. At a recent shareholders' meeting, Bernard Arnault said the plan was to interview a number of candidates before making the call when "conviction" arrives.

But who's reportedly on the short list of candidates Bernard Arnault's advisors have submitted? Tom Ford, Hedi Slimane, Olivier Theyskens, Nicholas Ghesquiere, Alber Elbaz, Haider Ackermann, Prabal Gurung, and Sarah Burton. However, a source in Paris told WWD that LVMH is placing less importance on marquee names and focusing rather on “someone who understands Dior and fits the needs of the company.”

While Arnault, chairman of the board at Dior, is sure to get the final say on the appointee, Dior CEO Sidney Toledano, who has helmed the company since 1998, and Delphine Arnault (Bernard's daughter), deputing managing director at Dior and widely viewed as the eventual LVMH heir apparent, are also expected to weigh in. Apparently Dior execs are also receiving unsolicited designer suggestions from top editors and even shareholders.

Delphine, for her part, is seen as a champion of Riccardo Tisci; the Givenchy designer has reportedly been lobbying for the position as well, sketching out his vision for the brand. Bernard Arnault, meanwhile, is reportedly transfixed by royalty, and if Sarah Burton does dress Kate Middleton for her wedding at the end of the month (despite Burton's and the McQueen company's denials), she may pull ahead in the race. Arnault would be keen to launch the new Dior alongside the newly-married couple; Princess Diana, after all, helped catapult the brand's image in 1995 when she wore a Lady Dior bag and then in 1996 when she wore a midnight blue, bias-cut Dior gown by John Galliano to the Costume Institute Gala.

In the meantime, design duties are falling on Dior's in-house design studios, headed by Bill Gaytten, who has worked beside Galliano since the '80s. They're already creating the Cruise 2012 collection and have started in on the upcoming Fall 2011 couture collection, in preparation for its debut in July.

Gaga reportedly got her own i-D cover after Naomi and Kate refused to do a shoot with her.

The Fashion Group International is crowning Balenciaga's Nicholas Ghesquière its newest superstar.

Francisco Costa suggests that the era of the waif may be officially over.

Vena Cava designed a collection for Bloomingdale’s Aqua Line.

Kate Lanphear stars in Eddie Borgo's Fall 2010 campaign.

Source: Getty

Proenza Schouler's "Pre-Spring" 2010 collection was depicted at the Pitti W show by three contemporary artists in what WWD called "a raucous, avant-garde bash". ..

Marc by Marc Jacobs will launch a back-to-school capsule collection called "Don't Miss The Marc" featuring items under $200.

Diane von Furstenberg and Nicholas Ghesquiere both recently got caught on the wrong side of copyright disputes. 

Roksanda Illincic will collaborate with British high-street retailer Whistles this fall. 

>> At this rate, the whole twelve minute-long profile of Anna Wintour on this Sunday's 60 Minutes is going to be spoiled — yesterday, they released the first 45 second clip, featuring Anna talking shop and holding court in her offices; this morning, they released a quote with her explaining her penchant for sunglasses; and now, there's another clip: Anna is asked about her put-together look, "not a hair out of place" — "It's very important to me that I look good when I go out publicly," she responds.  "I like looking at my clothes rack in the morning and deciding what to pick out."  Apparently, Sunday's segment will feature interviews with Andre Leon Talley, Grace Coddington, Bernard Arnault, Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, and Nicholas Ghesquiere.

The video! »