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In his debut collection for Balenciaga, Pierpaolo Piccioli drew on founder Cristóbal Balenciaga’s rich archives and picked up where Demna left off, quite literally. The show was staged at the Kering headquarters inside the historic Laennec landmark, where his predecessor’s exhibition was held in July.
There were 560 guests at the star-studded show, including Meghan Markle, Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Georgina Rodriguez. The front row had long-time Balenciaga ambassador Isabelle Huppert and new faces for the brand who wore Piccioli’s creations for Valentino, such as Anne Hathaway, Simone Ashley and Shailene Woodley. (One absentee was Demna’s Balenciaga house ambassador Nicole Kidman, who is rumoured to have joined Chanel.)
Piccioli’s mastery of couture translated into a compelling ready-to-wear proposal. The show opened with an iteration of Cristóbal’s tubular Sack dress. There were black tailored silhouettes, brushes of colours and plenty of new accessories like the Bolero handbag. “I didn’t want to go back to the roots. I wanted to study the archives and find my own way. I discovered a sort of method. Cristóbal was an architect, a sculptor and a painter. He always put the body at the centre of his research,” Piccioli explained during a preview on Saturday afternoon.
Piccioli’s appointment at Balenciaga in May came a year after the Italian designer stepped down from Valentino. His romantic universe seems far from Demna’s process of deconstruction and irony. But when appointed creative director of Balenciaga, Piccioli told Vogue Runway and Vogue Business global director Nicole Phelps that he wanted “to embrace the past, because I feel that it’s very important to have respect for what Nicolas [Ghesquière] and Demna did before me. The story of Balenciaga is a story of designers that I respect. This is more a passing of [the] torch rather than a game of chairs, and I feel very lucky to be a part of it.”
He did just that. The show invitation came in Balenciaga’s signature grey box. In it, there was a Walkman with a cassette playing the sound of a beating heart. It could easily have been mistaken for a Demna Balenciaga invitation. “I wanted to give a sort of continuity between Demna and me, the show is where Demna staged an exhibition about his 10 years at Balenciaga. So I like the idea of starting where my predecessor ended,” Piccioli said. The heartbeat was actually Piccioli’s, the designer revealed. “This is my deeply personal approach [to Balenciaga].”
And the grey box? “I didn’t want to change the colour, the logo. I feel good here, so I don’t need to change the font of the logo in order to find my place,” Piccioli said.
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Balenciaga is not immune to the luxury downturn. Kering doesn’t break down sales of its “other houses” division, which includes Balenciaga, alongside brands like Alexander McQueen and Boucheron. “The division’s revenue in the second quarter of 2025 was down 16 per cent on a comparable basis, with contrasting performances among houses,” Kering said in its Q2 earnings release. According to Morgan Stanley estimates, Balenciaga sales hit €1.66 billion in 2024 (up from €360 million in 2015, when Demna took the creative helm). On Saturday after the show, Kering’s new CEO Luca de Meo came backstage to congratulate Piccioli.
Here’s what some industry observers have to say about the show.
Derek Blasberg, author of And Another Thing Substack
The man is clearly one of the most beloved men in the industry. There was so much love in that room, and it felt like he knew it when he took his bow. His incredible use of colour was on full display, and so were subtle nods to the designers who were at the house before him — from Cristóbal to Demna. I’m almost certain the green floral knit dress was a print that Nicolas Ghesquière introduced to the house. This is a season of so many starts, which has been exciting to watch. But at a house like Balenciaga, which is over a century old, the trick is longevity.
Claire Thomson-Jonville, head of editorial content for Vogue France
It was a masterful contemporary take on Balenciaga, infused with the best elements that we know and love from Pierpaolo. The gowns were sublime, but they felt very modern. There was an edgy side to the collection, which I loved — those pants were insane with the cropped leather tops and, of course, the denim. Denim is a huge theme this season, but I thought it felt really grown-up but cool. I will see myself dressing like that. It was, in a way, reassuring to see those bags that everybody loves, but there was a real feeling so elevated and fresh that I personally really connected with it.
Alix Morabito, global buying director at Galeries Lafayette
Pierpaolo immersed himself in Balenciaga’s archives, and we can see some echoes of this. References to Cristóbal, with work on volumes and colours and a more couture approach; to Nicolas Ghesquière, through the City bag and bowler hats; and to Demna, through certain styling elements such as glasses. We also note the development of numerous accessories.
Tim Lim, group fashion director at Meta Media Holdings
There was a familiar sense of beauty, colour, bold-stroke texture, and pared-down chic that felt as much Pierpaolo as it did Balenciaga, with nods to his predecessors in some of the harder edges and accessories. A very telling sign of this new era was the appearance of Meghan Markle: just three months ago, her presence would have read in a much different way.
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Yumi Shin, chief merchandising officer at Bergdorf Goodman
Pierpaolo Piccioli once again proves that fashion can be emotionally powerful, with a refined elegance that has become his signature. Each look showcased controlled volume that equally spoke of discipline and freedom. The play of colour was vibrant and the proportions were delivered through a couture lens. Designed with kindness and always from the heart. It’s this humanistic approach that transforms his work into something deeply moving. In a season of daily debuts, Piccioli’s vision is one from the soul.
Law Roach, celebrity stylist
I love the attention to legacy and to the clothes. I also love that there was a little nod to Demna and what he brought at Balenciaga, with the glasses and some of the tailoring. Then we saw the colour, which Pierpaolo is known for. I think we would have been disappointed if we had not seen it. I think that it was a trifecta of past, present and future.
Brigitte Chartrand, chief buying and merchandising officer at Net-a-porter
I loved the black draped tailored looks that Pierpaolo showed under his new vision for Balenciaga. He honoured Cristóbal while bringing a new twist.
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