Alexander Wang on His Time at Balenciaga: "We Did a Great Success"

When Alexander Wang was selected as Balenciaga’s creative director in 2012, many fashion insiders were understandably shocked. Wang’s namesake label had established a fixed aesthetic anchored by monochromatic, athletic-tinged designs—which were well received, but not exactly in line with the Balenciaga codes. It was a surprising decision, to say the least, but not nearly as surprising as when the American designer announced he would be leaving the Parisian label after only three short, but very successful, years.

In a recent interview with i-D magazine, Wang discusses life after Balenciaga—speaking on his next moves, the future of fashion, and what he took away during his time at the fashion house.

“It was a learning curve: three years. I walk away from it with everyone saying, ‘That was so quick,' but I don't know what's quick and not quick,” Wang told i-D. “All I know is that I was there for three years and we got double-digit growth each year. I consider that an accomplishment for me and my team, and we did a great success.”

Before Balenciaga, Wang says he had never worked at any other label besides his own, and that he was never “an employee in that kind of capacity.” The gig forced him to learn a new set of rules that came with having a boss—specifically, recognizing he didn’t always have the final say.

“It definitely has its challenges when you're used to making all the decisions. You sign off—'Let's go!' Suddenly you want to do this, and we have to check this and get that approved and so on,” he explained. “It's just a different way of working, which I'm actually very grateful for, because now I'm like, okay, that's how that works.”

So what’s Wang’s next move? To put all his attention on his eponymous label.

“In the long run I have my own brand that I own completely with my family, and that's where my focus needs to be," Wang told i-D. “Balenciaga also needs someone who's there for the long run, so it was a very amicable agreement on behalf of me and Mr Pinault, and we still respect each other a lot.”

You can read the full interview, in which Wang also discusses his ‘90s inspiration, social media, and final collection for Balenciaga, at i-D’s website.