Earlier today, Balenciaga announced that Pierpaolo Piccioli is its new creative director, succeeding Demna. The designer was previously at Valentino, stepping down from his CD role over a year ago, ending his 25-year tenure. He started out his career with his creative partner, Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri – first at Fendi, designing accessories, and then joining the Valentino team in 1999.
They first headed up Valentino’s accessories and then in 2008 they succeeded Alessandra Facchinetti as co-artistic directors at the Italian house, with huge commercial success. In 2016, Chiuri went over to Dior and Piccioli became the sole CD.
Piccioli’s extensive work at Valentino ranged from the cult fuschia pink moments (coined Pink PP after his initials) to insane couture (look at Rihanna’s 2023 Met Gala cape) – he’s a master at couture but also a GOAT in the accessories and ready-to-wear game.
By appointing Pierpaolo and his unmatched CV, Balenciaga is seemingly swaying towards crazy superior couture collections, blockbuster red carpet dressing, and catering to more classic silhouettes and upscale takes on its codes. The designer has previously looked to Cristóbal Balenciaga as a major influence in his work, so we’re expecting strong archive references. In his announcement Piccioli said: “I’m not a 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.”
He continued: “Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy and archive is probably one of the most influential fashion statements of all time. He has done everything before everyone; he has literally invented the culture of creativity; he has infused the idea of couture in every aspect of his career. And he has shown, through his creations, the power of evolution and innovation.”
If you take a look at his designs, Piccioli has been referencing Balenciaga throughout his career, via a range of silhouettes: the bows in his Spring 2018 couture, the roses in his Fall 2023 couture, the feathers in his FW21, the hourglass figures, the drapes, and the cuts. He’s a huge Cristóbal stan and he’s a masterful designer, so he’s set to deliver sophisticated excellence in this new Balenci era.
Featured images Valentino©
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