Nicolas Ghesquière and Charlotte Gainsbourg
The muse gene must be a maternal trait, as Charlotte Gainsbourg seems to have inherited it from her purse-influencing mother, Jane Birkin. The Anglo-French daughter of Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg grew up in the spotlight, capturing the attention Nicolas Ghesquière long before he began his 15-year stint as Balenciaga's creative director.
When the designer finally met his muse in person, the two bonded and have since remained friends for over ten years. Gainsbourg embodied the two Balenciaga fragrances launched under Ghesquière, starring in ad campaigns for both and providing the literal "essence" of the second, entitled L'essence.
But the actress and singer not only inspired Balenciaga's perfumes. The former creative director of the house has stated,
“When I design a collection, there is always a moment when Charlotte comes to my mind...she has this eternal adolescence spirit and look. There is a real softness in Charlotte and there is a real strength too. She is not artificial.”
[Photo, Ghesquière and Gainsbourg via]
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