GAINSBOURG AND GHESQUIERE: THE DYNAMIC DUO

These days, no one is more closely associated with Balenciaga and its designer Nicolas Ghesquiere than French actress and singer-songwriter Charlotte Gainsbourg. Now the duo, who have known each other for over 10 years, are teaming up with licensee Coty Prestige for a new fragrance for Balenciaga’s portfolio.

The fragrance will mark the first for Ghesquiere in his position as Balenciaga’s creative director and it will launch worldwide in February of 2010. Naturally Gainsbourg will be the face of the fragrance in the advertising campaign, which was shot in Los Angeles. This is not the first time the multi-talented Gainsbourg has appeared in Balenciaga ads – last year she replaced Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Connelly as the face of the house’s fall fashion advertising. 

Gainsbourg is a rising star in the States and is very widely known across Europe.  However, Catherine Walsh, senior vice president of marketing for American licenses at Coty Prestige, said that she was chosen not because of her current status, but because of her relationship with Ghesquiere.  “It was less about who can we get to endorse it, and was more about developing a fragrance around her and Nicolas’ thoughts. She is going to be involved. She is so associated with the house, and she has never done a fragrance campaign. For us, it was less of a commercial initiative,”  stated Walsh.

Before teaming up with Coty Prestige, Balenciaga had a licensing deal with Groupe Jacques Bogart. That deal expired last year.  

Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.