![Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga and a few notes on menswear. 1 102de nicolas](http://malemode.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/102de-nicolas.png)
Aside from that, I’ve been trawling through the GQ archive of Balenciaga show reports, familiarising myself with the lesser known of the two branches helmed by Ghesquière at Balenciaga – his truly unique menswear.
![Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga and a few notes on menswear. 2 cc194 balenciagass07complete](http://malemode.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/cc194-balenciagass07complete.png)
![Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga and a few notes on menswear. 3 ee6f1 balenciagafw07complete](http://malemode.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/ee6f1-balenciagafw07complete.png)
![Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga and a few notes on menswear. 4 b2451 balenciagass08complete](http://malemode.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/b2451-balenciagass08complete.png)
![Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga and a few notes on menswear. 5 4e16f balenciagass11complete1](http://malemode.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/4e16f-balenciagass11complete1.png)
![Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga and a few notes on menswear. 6 5f5f8 balenciagass11complete2](http://malemode.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/5f5f8-balenciagass11complete2.png)
![Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga and a few notes on menswear. 7 af9dd balenciagafw11complete](http://malemode.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/af9dd-balenciagafw11complete.png)
![Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga and a few notes on menswear. 8 e6e72 balenciagass12complete](http://malemode.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/e6e72-balenciagass12complete.png)
![Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga and a few notes on menswear. 9 5a940 balenciagafw12complete](http://malemode.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/5a940-balenciagafw12complete.png)
^ Autumn Winter 2012; continuing on in the previous season’s vein, Ghesquière’s adds another string to his bow
![Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga and a few notes on menswear. 10 95672 balenciagass13complete](http://malemode.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/95672-balenciagass13complete.png)
^ Spring Summer 2013; explorations in cyber aesthetics give way to a more subdued, naturalistic minimalism
It saddens me a little to think that Ghesquière departs just as the house’s men’s divison has begun to cohere, excite and vie for a long-awaited place amongst the menswear greats. That said, I’m sure there’s plenty more where that came from,
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Can we all now get a grip, reign it in, recognise nobody’s died, salute Ghesquière for Balenciaga and wish him well in his future endeavours?
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Read more about the parting of Ghesqière and Balenciaga here
Images from GQ, Style and New York Magazine