Balenciaga appoints Demna Gvasalia as creative director

PARIS (Reuters) - Kering's Balenciaga fashion brand has appointed Demna Gvasalia as its new creative director to replace Alexander Wang, who left to develop his eponymous business. Gvasalia, a German national of Georgian origin, launched his own Vetements brand in 2014 after designing for Maison Martin Margiela and LVMH's Louis Vuitton. He is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp. Balenciaga Chief Executive Isabelle Guichot said in a statement on Wednesday that Gvasalia was the best choice for the job because of his "mastery of techniques", "expertise and fashion knowledge", and "innovative and carefully considered approach". Wang, who had spent three years at Balenciaga's creative helm, left this month after presenting his final collection in Paris. Wang had replaced Nicolas Ghesquiere in 2012, now at Louis Vuitton, who was largely credited with having infused new life into Balenciaga over more than a decade and helped turn it into a global brand. Balenciaga is Kering's fourth-biggest fashion label after Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Saint Laurent. Gvasalia will present his first collection at Paris Fashion Week in March and will continue to design for Vetements. (Reporting by Astrid Wendlandt; Editing by James Regan)