Update: Christophe Decarnin’s departure from the label has been confirmed.
When news of John Galliano’s outbursts and subsequent dismissal from Dior first broke I asked those who work on Fashionising.com with me to not publish anything discussing the matter. In some part, my decision came down to the fact that I see it as Fashionising.com’s mission to inspire you, not to provide you with a daily fix of news and gossip (there are glossies that can handle that better then we could ever pretend to). The second reason I had was for the request was for more prominent in my mind however: little more then a year after the suicide of Alexander McQueen, a suicide that was blamed upon a mixture of high pressure and depression, two traits that Galliano seemed also to be suffering from, it seemed distasteful to me that people would be lining up to attack the designer no matter how unsettling or hurtful his outburst.
Today we get a hint at just how heavily the commercial realities of luxury fashion may rest upon the shoulders of the creative artists who craft it, with the news that Balmain’s creative director Christophe Decarnin is set to depart from the label. News of such a departure mightn’t garner as much attention as this one has were it not for the fact that Decarnin had not been present at the fashion house’s autumn / fall 2011 showing, an absence that was attributed to a deep bout of depression.
As WWD is today reporting it:
Balmain is expected to announce its separation from Decarnin as early as today, and his successor shortly thereafter.
It is understood an internal candidate is the front-runner to take up the design helm at a house Decarnin made synonymous with audacious, ultrasexy – and ultra expensive – fashions.
The painfully shy designer was absent from Balmain’s fall 2011 show, under doctor’s orders, after seeking treatment in Paris for depression. However, sources close to the designer say speculation about Decarnin’s mental health was overblown.
In fact, tensions between the designer and Balmain’s chairman and chief executive officer Alain Hivelin had reached a breaking point, with the two men said to have widely divergent views on the company’s strategy and future direction.
Update:
It has been confirmed by Balmain that Christophe Decarnin is indeed leaving the fashion house. It is believed that the house’s stylist Melanie Ward will be announced as his successor.
