During Demna’s decade-long run at Balenciaga, the groundbreaking designer summoned images of the apocalypse through his grandiose runway shows and built retail stores for the end times. And then, in March, Demna announced he’ll be taking his distinctive, disruptive style to Gucci, one of 15 high-fashion designers who have swapped houses this year already. Now, Balenciaga has officially announced former Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli as Demna’s successor.
Piccioli is a seemingly perfect match with the legacy of Balenciaga, though perhaps not an exact fit with the version of the label Demna constructed over the past decade. There is, however, an enduring respect between the two designers. Piccioli thanked his predecessor directly in the statement announcing his appointment. The two will even work together for a month until Demna presents his final Balenciaga couture show in July, according to the New York Times.
Still, Piccioli appears destined to bring a wholly new energy to the label. While Demna’s designs often skewered the political climate or even the very notion of luxury fashion itself, Piccioli is a true romantic. What the two have in common might be their conviction that fashion can help bend and break conventions.
In the last few years of his Valentino tenure, Piccioli was interested in helping men dress more freely. For the cover of GQ’s November 2019 “New Masculinity” issue, Pharrell sported a gown-like parka Piccioli designed in collaboration with Moncler. His final men’s show for the Italian label featured a stream of male models in shorts and skirts. It’s fitting that one of Piccioli’s last viral moments at Valentino was Pedro Pascal’s thigh-baring shorts at the 2023 Met Gala.
Balenciaga’s traditional codes—dating back to the middle of the 20th century, when founder Cristóbal Balenciaga was still at the helm—will be easy fodder for Piccioli’s new era. Both share a love of vivacious color; one of Piccioli’s calling cards at Valentino was a particular high-intensity shade of pink. The incoming designer is also known for his great talent with couture, one of the house’s foundational tenets. “He is one of the most talented and celebrated designers of today,” said Francesca Bellettini, Kering’s deputy CEO in charge of brand development, in a statement. “His mastery of Haute Couture, his creative voice, and his passion for savoir-faire made him the ideal choice for the House.”
Piccioli has already pointed out that he’s always looked towards Balenciaga’s original work as a major source of inspiration. The very first photo the designer posted on Instagram in 2018 was of a famous wedding dress designed by Cristóbal in 1967. After years of Demna pushing the house’s boundaries ever further, Piccioli’s appointment might return the house closer to its roots.
“I couldn’t ask for a better passing of the torch,” Piccioli said in a statement. “This gives me the chance to shape a new version of the Maison, adding another chapter with a new story.”