Hello, world! Another day, another surprise in the fashion realm. Balenciaga has just announced the appointment of Pierpaolo Piccoli as the House’s new Creative Director. So, first of all, welcome back, PPP! The former head of Valentino was praised for his exquisite and dreamy approach to fashion, especially Haute Couture, elevating the Italian House to new heights as well as balancing the brand’s codes and history with his own contemporary take. So the stakes are high, but there’s no doubt he’ll succeed.
In his welcome statement, Piccioli comments: “Every new story has a lot to do with the path that brought us there, the humans we are now and the experiences we have already lived. I’m not a big fan of predestination but as I was scrolling my personal IG page, I realised that the very first picture I’ve uploaded was the 1967 wedding ensemble by Cristóbal Balenciaga. Don’t know if I should take it as a sign, what I know is that now I can see the bigger picture. Being here today, to mold a new story of a house where creativity has always been a culture and innovation a science, makes me feel honoured and proud to continue the story that who came before me already told with respect and assertive points of view […] Work is done by people and the way people feel within the work is the only thing that matters. I feel good, blessed, grateful and honoured to be here, now.”
The Italian designer will start on the 10th of July, so it’s most likely that his first collection will be unveiled in 2026. However, the brand’s codes will sure be starting to shift in the new season already, as Piccoli’s influence is easily noticeably when he’s involved in a project.