Balenciaga: Pierpaolo Piccioli’s breathtaking debut show between rupture and rebirth

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Farewell Demna, buongiorno Pierpaolo

On Saturday, October 4th, at 8 pm, the Laennec Hospital on Rue de Sèvres became the stage for Pierpaolo Piccioli’s debut Balenciaga show. Within this Louis XIII-style building dating back to the 17th century, the Italian designer unveiled his first collection. An inaugural statement that clearly broke away from his predecessor’s aesthetic. And one that was met with a moving standing ovation…

The choice of venue was highly symbolic. Since 2016, the Laennec site has been home to the headquarters of the Kering luxury group. Last July, it hosted a retrospective exhibition dedicated to Demna’s ten-year tenure as creative director of the house.

This Balenciaga show was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated events of the Spring/Summer 2026 Fashion Week. So much so that the week was already being characterised as historic before it even began. And with good reason, since no fewer than eight designers were presenting their debut collections for a fashion house. Demna himself kicked off the season in Milan on September 22nd, opening his first chapter at Gucci.

These series of debuts have highlighted a clear divide between two creative directions – one valuing continuity, while the other initiating rupture. At Loewe and Bottega Veneta, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, along with Louise Trotter, opted to carry forward the legacy of their predecessors. In contrast, Jonathan Anderson at Dior and Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga chose to write a new chapter. Farewell Demna, buongiorno Pierpaolo!

A double challenge at Balenciaga

For Pierpaolo Piccioli, the challenge is actually twofold. His first and the most obvious mission is to sell. Under Demna, Balenciaga built a large, loyal community, while achieving exceptional financial results. The house founded in 1919 crossed the billion-euro mark in revenue – rising from 185 million in 2018 to 927 million in 2019, then to 1.18 billion in 2021.

But Piccioli’s second mission is likely to be the more sensitive. The Roman designer, who was creative director at Valentino until 2024, spent twenty-five years working for the Italian house’s studios. After joining the accessories department in 1999, he co-led Valentino alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri starting in 2008, before taking the reins solo in 2016.

Much like Sarah Burton – formerly at McQueen and now at Givenchy – Pierpaolo Piccioli’s aesthetic remains closely associated with Valentino. It’s a signature style he must now reinvent for Balenciaga…

A divisive first runway show

To say that Pierpaolo Piccioli’s debut for Balenciaga has divided the audience would be an understatement. While Demna’s loyalists may not find themselves in this Spring/Summer 2026 collection, his critics have welcomed the return to couture elegance that defines the brand’s heritage.

To borrow a popular phrase on social media: “Haters gonna hate.” In other words, there will always be criticism. One might suppose that, if Piccioli was chosen to succeed Demna, it was precisely to tell a new story.

Pierpaolo Piccioli pays a brilliant tribute to Cristóbal Balenciaga

As stated in the show notes: “Pierpaolo Piccioli’s first collection as creative director of Balenciaga pays tribute to this essential component [couture, ed.] of the house and Cristóbal Balenciaga’s work, by translating it into the present. This is not homage, but recalibration.” Thus, the Italian designer returns to the origins of the house.

Nicknamed the “couturier of couturiers” by his peers, Cristóbal Balenciaga [1895–1972] introduced a radically new approach to couture. Precise and uncompromising, the son of a tailor born on the Spanish Basque Country crafted garments like no one else. The latter’s technical vision is what designer Pierpaolo Piccioli brings to the forefront here.

Architectural, yet weightless cuts. Refined, yet bold silhouettes. The centuries-old know-how of haute couture is revamped in a modern wardrobe. A nod to the founder, who ceased all activity in 1968, precisely because ready-to-wear was on the rise. In terms of fabrics, the iconic Gazar fabric created by Balenciaga in 1958 made a comeback in a lighter, but equally structured version.

Finally, far from wiping the slate clean of his predecessors’ work, Pierpaolo Piccioli includes subtle nods to both Nicolas Ghesquière – creative director at Balenciaga from 1997 to 2012 – and Demna, with pieces like the City bag and oversized sunglasses taking the whole face.

All the looks from the Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2026 show