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Nicolas Ghesquière Ditching Celebs for Spring 2009?

Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière was reportedly in New York this weekend casting for the spring 2009 campaign. According to the Imagist, Ghesquière is looking for a multi-model cast — a significant departure from his fall ‘08 campaign, which starred Charlotte Gainsbourg solo, and his spring 2008 campaign, which starred Jennifer Connelly. In fact, Balenciaga hasn’t featured models in its ads for a year. “There are girls in that mix who barely set foot on anyone’s runway this season as well as girls who are riding all those expected covers,” the Imagist reports of the new cast. Coming off a season in which nineties-era supermodels dominated high-fashion advertising, Balenciaga’s new direction mirrors predictions that lesser-known faces will dominate the spring 2009 season. Why? They’re cheaper, and in case you haven’t noticed, everyone’s cost-cutting these days. But unknowns might cause people to pay more attention to the clothes than the person wearing the clothes. Who’s to say they won’t sell?

BALENCIAGA SS 09 AD CASTING: ADVANCED AND AUDACIOUS [TI via Fashionologie]

Nicolas Ghesquière Ditching Celebs for Spring 2009?