He Originally Said No to Balenciaga

Being Alexander Wang must be pretty sweet. As one of the most sought-after designers in the world, he can basically do whatever he wants because It girls will clamor to wear mesh crop tops and leather leggings that bear his name no matter what. He can host fashion shows in Brooklyn. He can create a collection full of bulbous shearling jackets and leather ascots. And, apparently, he can turn down jobs with major fashion houses because as it turns out, Wang originally declined the offer to join Balenciaga as creative director.

If you are shaking your head in bewilderment, you are not alone. I mean who does that?! Who turns down Balenciaga? Alex Wang, that's who. He can do whatever he wants, remember? And we honestly though he couldn't get any cooler.

During an interview at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Wang told Domenico De Sole, chairman of Tom Ford International, that he declined when the storied fashion house first extended the job offer. Although he didn't expand on why, one can guess that he might have been intimidated. After all, Balenciaga has been around since the early 1900s and is still one of the most iconic brands out there. That's a lot to live up to, and Wang has to rise to the challenge while running his own eponymous label as well.

Balenciaga wanted Wang so badly that they "responded by offering him a visit the legendary couturier’s archive." The high-security visit — they actually shut down the security cameras to keep the hiring decision under wraps — ultimately led Wang to change his mind, reports Fashionista.

In the end, it was that visit to the archive that convinced him to take the vacancy that Nicolas Ghesquière’s departure left open. “Seeing the archive in person, as a creative person when you see something like that it puts sparks into you,” said Wang. “It kind of just triggered me. It really inspired me to think about it.”

Wang turning down Balenciaga but getting the job anyway is just the most Downtown move ever. Imagine being able to say no to such an awesome position because you know there will be other offers down the road? Then, imagine being so desired by that company that they essentially beg you to take the job (in the most high-fashion way possible, that is — designers at fashion archives are like toddlers at Toys "R" Us).

We're glad Wang changed his mind because we would have hated to see Balenciaga flounder without Nicolas Ghesquière’s particular brand of edgy-cool. Edgy-cool is the name of Alexander Wang's game and we can't wait to see how he continues to interpret the legendary fashion label's signature look.