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Balenciaga: Who is Pierpaolo Piccioli, the new artistic director?
On March 22, 2024, Pierpaolo Piccioli stepped down from his role as artistic director at Valentino, ending a 25-year career with the fashion house. Since then, silence… until today, when Balenciaga announced his appointment to lead its design studios. A major surprise for the fashion world, which now eagerly awaits a new chapter in the career of the Italian designer. Numéro looks back on his years at Valentino (and their dazzling colors) with five key takeaways.
by Jordan Bako.
Publié le 19 may 2025. Modifié le 22 May 2025.
Balenciaga appoints Pierpaolo Piccioli
It’s official. On May 19th, 2025, Balenciaga announced its new artistic director: Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli. This announcement comes just weeks after Demna’s appointment as Gucci’s new artistic director. In ten years, the Georgian designer has transformed the French fashion house. And succeeding him is a daunting challenge that only a couturier like Pierpaolo Piccioli could have taken on…
“It is thanks to all the people who have paved the way that the house of Balenciaga is what it is today. Throughout all stages of its evolution and constant change, it has never lost sight of its aesthetic values. I am taking on a brand that is full of possibilities and absolutely fascinating. Above all, I would like to thank Demna, whose talent and vision I have always admired, and I could not have dreamed of a better passing of the torch.” It is with his characteristic humility that Pierpaolo Piccioli prepares to step up at Balenciaga. As a reminder, the house was founded in San Sebastian in 1917, before moving to Paris at the end of the 1930s.
A low-key fashion designer
Paris, Milan, London, and New York… One might expect a world-renowned designer to lead a fast-paced life in one of these fashion capitals. Yet Pierpaolo Piccioli has chosen serenity.
During his 25 years at Valentino, the designer never left his hometown of Nettuno, on the Tyrrhenian coast, where he lives with his wife and children. “Living in Nettuno is an immense source of strength for me—it brings balance. I want to stay true to who I am, and I have no desire to live in a castle—that just wouldn’t suit me,” he said in a 2018 interview with Numéro.
Known for his modesty, Pierpaolo Piccioli is the antithesis of Valentino Garavani, the house’s founder. While the latter fully embraced the jet-set lifestyle, Piccioli emerged as the brand’s spokesperson with disarming humility. This was evident in the moving tribute he received from his teams in March 2024, when he left Valentino.
Among his most striking moments: the show in Rome with fashion students, the emotional finale in Chantilly where he saluted the audience with his team, and the spring-summer 2023 runway in the Marais. From his humble roots, Piccioli has maintained a rare simplicity in today’s fashion world: a contrast likely to stand out in the Parisian scene.
Minimalist creations that transformed Valentino
In 1989, freshly graduated from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, Pierpaolo Piccioli met Maria Grazia Chiuri, a pivotal encounter.
The two Italian designers became a creative duo, first at Fendi designing accessories, then at Valentino from 1999. Their breakthrough came in 2008, when Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri succeeded Alessandra Facchinetti as co-artistic directors of Valentino.
In 2016, after eight years of collaboration, Maria Grazia Chiuri left for Dior, and Piccioli took the helm solo. He established himself as the undisputed master of Valentino’s style, preserving its glamorous DNA while injecting unexpected modernity—earning praise from both peers and the public.
His collections, remarkably pared down, kept a touch of extravagance through lavish, theatrical accessories. Combining couture craftsmanship and contemporary ease, his timeless silhouettes were made for the red carpet.
We remember Kaia Gerber in an oversized white shirt, embroidered jeans and surreal feathered headpieces; Rihanna in white camellias at the 2023 Met Gala; and Zendaya’s homage to Sharon Stone at the 2022 Oscars.
Like Valentino Garavani dressing Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn, Pierpaolo Piccioli nurtures close ties with today’s icons.
Pierpaolo Piccioli, beloved by Gen Z
For 25 years, Pierpaolo Piccioli helped to shape Valentino’s legacy. During his career, he received the British Fashion Awards’ Designer of the Year title twice, in 2018 and 2022—a first for the house founded in 1960.
Taking over as sole creative lead, Piccioli ushered in a new era for the brand. While preserving its couture heritage with sumptuous creations, he captivated Gen Z with bold and modern designs.
Chunky sneakers and boots, monogrammed hoodies, studded bags and ballet flats… He understood that today, a brand is defined not only by its creations but also by the community and values it represents.
A visionary without being radical, he foresaw that tomorrow’s fashion would be about culture and authenticity. He was the first to choose Zendaya as a Valentino ambassador in 2020, signaling a new generation of brand icons.
He has a Pantone color named after him
Though humble, Pierpaolo Piccioli is full of surprises. While Valentino Garavani made red the house’s signature color, Piccioli made waves at the Fashion Week with his Fall-Winter 2022-2023 collection dominated by pink and black.
Months before the Barbiecore trend took over social media, Piccioli introduced his vibrant “Pink PP” : a fuchsia pink developed exclusively with the Pantone Color Institute.
A passion for fashion and cinema
The Spanish Steps in Rome at Piazza di Spagna, the Château de Chantilly, the Pont Alexandre III in Paris… Pierpaolo Piccioli’s show settings are cinematic: a nod to his original dream of a film career. He once told Le Monde he’s influenced by Pasolini’s films.
Like Valentino Garavani dressing screen legends like Elizabeth Taylor, Anita Ekberg or Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, Pierpaolo Piccioli infuses his shows with film references, though more subtly. His work often blends fashion, film, and music.
Artists like FKA twigs and Labrinth have performed at his shows: FKA twigs at the 2020-2021 men’s show at the Grand Palais and Spring-Summer 2024 at Paris’s Beaux-Arts; and Labrinth at the haute couture Fall-Winter 2022-2023 show in Rome.
In a surprising twist, Pierpaolo Piccioli has also made on-screen appearances as a paparazzo in Zoolander 2 (2016), and in the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, alongside Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston.
