Nicolas Ghesquière: "My Parents Were Not Happy"

Without a doubt, it's the success stories with a few bumps in the road that we find the most inspiring. And, while Nicolas Ghesquière is now sitting atop one of the world's most recognizable fashion brands, his recent interview with Vanity Fair highlights his journey to become creative director of Louis Vuitton. Much like that time you told your parents you were taking a year off school to concentrate on your garage band, it seems as though Ghesquière's folks might have had a similar, not-so-positive reaction to their son's career path.

“'My parents were not happy,' he tells [Ingrid] Sischy, saying they wanted him to go the conventional route and get a degree from fashion school," Vanity Fair's feature reads. The story cites the time after Ghesquière was hired at Jean Paul Gaultier when he was only 18 years old, before he set off to freelance at some of Paris' other major design houses. Four years later, he arrived at Balenciaga, and, well, the rest is history — just look at the latest Louis Vuitton runway.

Of course, we're not saying parents are usually wrong — in fact, we sometimes hate to admit how often they're right — but Nicolas' determination is incredibly inspiring and a true testament to the power of belief in oneself. Read more about his journey and his big LV debut in Vanity Fair. (Vanity Fair)