Balenciaga has a new creative director, and (hopefully) a new look

After months of speculation, Balenciaga, the Spanish haute couture house founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1917, revered for its attenuated silhouettes and for inventing silk gazar, has appointed Pierpaolo Piccioli as its new creative director, effective July 10, the Kering-owned luxury brand announced yesterday. The seasoned Italian designer, having worked for two and a half decades at Valentino, will take over the reins from Demna, the mononymous designer who, in a March announcement, was confirmed to be gaining full creative control of Gucci (also owned by Kering).

Having transformed the ailing label into one of the biggest luxury brands in the world, Demna transcended the role of designer and became more like a divining rod that indicated which way the cultural water was flowing—until his direction faltered under the weight of controversy. This news doesn’t come as a surprise, since Demna became the face of public—and cultural—cancellation after launching an offensive and insensitive ad campaign that caused a public outcry. Fittingly, Piccioli has been chosen by Kering to (hopefully) reshape the creative direction of Balenciaga at a time when the group is grappling with disappointing 2024 results. Those include a 12 per cent drop in revenue and creative leadership changes at three of its major brands: Bottega Veneta, Gucci, and Balenciaga. The move suggests a potential shift in strategy.

Piccioli, after all, is modern fashion’s greatest romanticist and colourist. His Valentino shows were a wonder to behold. Remember when he had Kaia Gerber walk down the runway at his Fall 2023 couture show in a pair of jeans that actually weren’t jeans but silk gazar entirely embroidered in microbeads dyed almost 100 different shades of indigo to resemble denim? Or when, during his Fall 2021 couture show at the Venice Biennale, models walked the runway in stone-coloured khakis made of double-faced satins, ruby-red bathrobe coats, and cashmere capes embroidered in gold sequins—all paired with Philip Treacy-designed hats that wafted through the air like jellyfish?

And who could forget Fall 2022, when he staged his couture show on Rome’s Spanish Steps, with models descending to the music of Labyrinth’s hit tunes, wearing modern wardrobe staples elevated with couture treatments (denim was plasticised until it glowed; gowns were patchworked with tiny dioramas mimicking the Garden of Eden; and silk cady skirts, lined with ostrich feathers, cinched at the waist with organza belts that fluttered like moulded nimbuses around the body)? All of this was bathed in painterly hues of raspberry, pink, lilac, Kermit-the-Frog green, chartreuse, cerulean, and sunflower yellow—as if a box of Faber Castell paints had been slit open.

And, perhaps, that is why Piccioli is the right choice for Balenciaga. Francesca Bellettini, Kering Deputy CEO in charge of Brand Development, said in the press release, “I couldn’t be happier to welcome Pierpaolo to the Group. He is one of the most talented and celebrated designers of today. His mastery of Haute Couture, his creative voice, and his passion for savoir-faire made him the ideal choice for the House.” His colour-first approach is what is needed to make Balenciaga stand out from its contemporaries.

“We are in a new moment of fashion,” Piccioli said in an interview with 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,” he added. This is a time of unprecedented change in the fashion industry, with over 15 fashion houses shifting designers this year alone. Piccioli said that his goal is to redefine this transition, ensuring it becomes less of a game of musical chairs and more of a meaningful passing of the torch. “This gives me the chance to shape a new version of the Maison, adding another chapter with a new story,” he added, via his Instagram post. He wants to honour the people (Demna, Nicolas Ghesquière of Louis Vuitton, and Alexander Wang) who came before him, whether or not they left an indelible mark on the history of the brand. 

Speaking of Demna, Piccioli said, “I must first and foremost thank Demna; I’ve always admired his vision.” Although the two haven’t worked closely together, they’ve definitely stayed in touch. Piccioli has attended numerous of Demna’s couture shows for Balenciaga in the past—and vice versa. According to Kering, there are no immediate plans to undo the Demna branding of Balenciaga. Still, Piccioli will be relocating from his home in Rome to Paris, where he’ll stage six annual collections for the house: four ready-to-wear and two haute couture. While both designers have distinctly different aesthetics, one core value unites them: the human touch.

It is, after all, fashion’s greatest armour against A.I. Though Piccioli doesn’t engage with political issues the way Demna has—whether it’s climate change, upending luxury semiotics, or the war in Ukraine—he has consistently championed fashion’s broader human concerns, particularly inclusivity and diversity. In fact, he was revered for bringing his entire team of seamstresses and tailors out after the finale of his ready-to-wear and couture shows.

Further appreciating Piccioli’s aesthetic, Gianfranco Gianangeli, CEO at the brand, said he was “excited to begin this new era at Balenciaga with Pierpaolo. His creative vision will thrive, and he will perfectly interpret the legacy of Cristóbal Balenciaga, building on the house’s bold creativity, rich heritage and strong culture. With the expertise of our teams and the dynamic creative energy that has historically driven Balenciaga, I look forward to what we will build together.”

How this will all transpire—and trickle down into remaking, or rather remoulding, Balenciaga’s somewhat controversial image—is yet to be seen, when Piccioli, with bated breath, makes his debut for the brand in October of this year, during the Paris ready-to-wear shows.