Piccioli debuts Balenciaga haute couture in Paris

Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli presented his debut haute couture collection for Balenciaga on Wednesday, July 8, in Paris, marking a significant new chapter for the historic fashion house. The show was staged outdoors at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, a sprawling student campus, a departure from the brand's recent couture presentations held in its salons on Avenue George V. The sun-drenched event featured a star-studded front row including actors Demi Moore and Cynthia Erivo, alongside Kering CEO Luca de Meo.

Piccioli, who took over as creative director in July 2025 after a long tenure at Valentino, infused the collection with his signature mastery of color, presenting vibrant shades of electric pink, neon orange, and mint green. The designs revisited the architectural legacy of founder Cristóbal Balenciaga, featuring ballooning gowns, voluminous capes, floor-length hooded cloaks, and sculpted hourglass dresses. Standout pieces included an iridescent black rooster feather headpiece worn by model Gigi Hadid and an emu feather-embroidered trench coat. The designer emphasized a focus on the body, movement, and engineering cuts, often using modern techniques...