Alexander Wang is 'the leading candidate' for Balenciaga job New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn has suggested that young designer Alexander Wang could be confirmed as the new creative director of Balenciaga next week. Alexander Wang is reportedly a shoo-in for the Balenciaga job, according to New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn. "In the continuing Balenciaga drama, Alexander Wang appears to be the leading candidate to succeed the star designer Nicolas Ghesquière, and an announcement of his appointment could be made as early as next week, a Paris source with knowledge of the discussions said on Wednesday night," Horyn wrote in the early hours of this morning on the NYT fashion blog, On The Runway . IN PICTURES: Alexander Wang spring/summer 2013 Horyn is a reliable source; it was she who broke the news of Raf Simons' appointment at the house of Dior back in April this year - however, both Wang and PPR, the owners of Balenciaga, are yet the comment on her statement. Although Wang's name was thrown into the ring as a possible successor when Ghesquière announced his departure earlier this month, rumours have until now been mainly focused on British designer Christopher Kane. Last week, the London-based talent said reports that he was set to take creative control at Balenciaga were "unfounded," before later announcing that he was to leave his design role at Versace sister label Versus, causing yet more speculation that he was readying himself to fill Ghesquière's shoes. Yesterday, WWD reported that PPR, the luxury conglomerate behind Balenciaga, had been in talks with Kane about possibly "investing" in his fledgling brand. New York-based Wang, 28, founded his eponymous label in 2007 after dropping out of prestigious design college Parsons The New School for Design. He has since become known for his effortlessly cool, contemporary aesthetic and for championing the sports-luxe and grunge looks that have dominated the catwalks in recent years. "The choice of a designer like Mr. Wang, who has built a youthful following in New York and elsewhere, certainly suggests a different direction for Balenciaga," Horyn continued in her post. And for Mr. Wang, a move to Paris would allow him to expand his career. But for now, we'll just have to wait and see if Horyn is indeed correct.