A new unknown is revealed in the complex system of equations that the fashion industry has become. The Roman Pierpaolo Piccioli (1967), who gave Valentino its best years seen in many decades (specifically guiding its destiny between 2008 and 2024), will take over the creative direction of Balenciaga starting in July, marking a strong change of direction for the Spanish house, which was Spanish until 1972 and has been owned by the powerful French group Kering since 1986. Considering that Demna, its last creative director (who now moves to Gucci, also owned by the same group), led the brand towards a youthful avant-garde devoted to expensive distress, constant wit, and provocation through virality as its trademark.
With Piccioli, a designer of extraordinary sensitivity, Balenciaga could realign itself with the architectural and sophisticated spirit that defined the brand for decades, which would make sense in a context of high competitiveness in the luxury world, in need of strong support for concepts, execution, and ideas, which often seem exhausted in advance. We will be able to see this very soon, as his first collection for the maison will be presented next October. In fact, in an Instagram post from Piccioli's own account, it is stated that "Pierpaolo, a consecrated and respected designer, and master of Haute Couture, will bring his unique creative vision and extensive experience to Balenciaga, leveraging the strengths and success achieved by the brand over the last decade under Demna's creative direction, and in continuity with the legacy of Cristóbal Balenciaga."
In the same post, Francesca Bellettini, deputy general manager of Kering, expresses her delight in welcoming Pierpaolo and says that 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. I also sincerely want to thank Demna for the bold and distinctive vision he brought to Balenciaga over the past 10 years, shaping the identity of the House in the contemporary era."
For his part, the designer himself, who by the way studied Literature at the University of Rome and worked at Fendi before joining Valentino, stated in an open letter that the first image he uploaded to his Instagram account was a dress by Cristobal Balenciaga: "I don't know if I should consider it a sign, but the fact is that now I can see the full picture." He also said that "the legacy and archive of Cristóbal Balenciaga are probably one of the most influential fashion statements of all time, he did everything before anyone else, literally invented the culture of creativity."
At Yo Dona, we are confident that those archives, in the hands of Pierpaolo Piccioli, will give maison Balenciaga, and all of us who love fashion design, some of the greatest moments in its history in the years to come. Long live Piccioli.