Cristobal Balenciaga started his couture house back in 1918, influencing the next century of fashion with his dramatic, sculptural silhouettes. The line, dormant for nearly 30 years, stepped into the ready-to-wear arena in the nineties, reproducing classic looks for a minimalism-obsessed fashion world. In 1997, Nicolas Ghesquière was named creative director. Under his influence, the fashion house became a bellwether in the industry, influencing trends at all levels of the market. In addition to revitalizing the namesake collection, Ghesquière oversaw the creation of the Edition line, which features reissued couture classics, and the Capsule collection of runway-inspired pieces. In November 2012, the brand announced that it was parting ways with Nicolas Ghesquière and named Alexander Wang as the new creative director.