In a seismic shift for the fashion industry, Kering has named Pierpaolo Piccioli as the new creative director of Balenciaga. The celebrated designer, who ended his transformative tenure at Valentino in 2024, will oversee all facets of the French Maison—from women’s and men’s ready-to-wear to accessories and couture.
Piccioli’s appointment follows Demna’s move to Gucci earlier this year, after nearly a decade defined by provocation and zeitgeist-defining design. While Demna reimagined Balenciaga as fashion’s enfant terrible, Piccioli offers a different vision—one grounded in poetic beauty and pronounced craftsmanship. Known for his feminine couture, the Italian designer’s arrival marks a decisive new chapter for the House.
Announcing the news, Kering cited a renewed focus on couture and artisanal excellence, noting Piccioli’s humanistic philosophy as a vital next step. “We are in a new moment of fashion,” Piccioli told The New York Times. “Before, there were founders. Then there was the phase of the creative director. This is the third phase. The human phase.”
In a letter accompanying the announcement, the designer honoured the lineage of Balenciaga’s past creative figures—from Cristóbal himself to Nicolas Ghesquière and Demna —vowing to build on rather than erase. “I don’t want to deny the past,” he said. “This is a chance to change the rules from the inside.”
Piccioli, 57, will relocate to Paris, overlapping with Demna for a month before the latter’s final couture show in July before he kicks off his new era at Gucci. There are no plans for immediate upheaval; instead, Piccioli emphasises continuity, vision, and reverence for craftsmanship in an age increasingly defined by quick turnarounds and gimmicks. Meanwhile, at Valentino, new creative director Alessandro Michele has already bestowed the House with his eccentric glamour.
As Kering navigates a year of financial turbulence and creative turnover, all eyes will be on Piccioli to restore Balenciaga’s lustre with his blend of romanticism, humanity, and modern elegance.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.
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