Pierpaolo Piccioli - Designer, Creative Director of Balenciaga

[YohjiAddict]

Balenciaga at its core is severe and avant-garde. Two qualities that aren’t anywhere to be found in Pierpaolo’s body of work. He was the “safe” choice because of the couture in his resumé but it’s a total mismatch when it comes to values.

His risqué collections at Valentino were nothing if not cringe, the one with stripper platforms and weird cutout tunics to name an example.

 

[FashionPower]

His Balenciaga show was the worst debut from the season, the most suitable word to describe the collection is: irrilevant. It's exactly what one would expect from a random designer having superficial knowledge of Balenciaga: some cocoon shape, some bow and voilà. Add random PPP Valentino's vibe and unwearable accessories to the mix and you get this crap of collection. Those newly designed bags do not look luxe / elevated at all and they're just...ugly. The revamped City bags are just coming from merchandise team autopilot mode.
If it wasn't for the Demna oversized bewejeled shades, one would have mistaken this show for a Valentino by PPP "Les rebelles" cringefest.
I hope they start showing co-ed from next season or get dedicated menswear show cause it's been like 6 months since PPP's appointment and we haven't seen anything menswear yet.

 

[Frederic01]

^^^ Yes, what happened to the menswear? Bizarre. So they won’t have any new runway menswear collections for one entire year? Just like Bottega Veneta. It makes me wonder if Kering is trying to slowly phase out menswear a la Givenchy and focus solely on womenswear? Hmmm….

 

[PDFSD]

^^^ Yes, what happened to the menswear? Bizarre. So they won’t have any new runway menswear collections for one entire year? Just like Bottega Veneta. It makes me wonder if Kering is trying to slowly phase out menswear a la Givenchy and focus solely on womenswear? Hmmm….

Givenchy just relaunched menswear under Sara burton in october
Sarah Burton’s Precise Vision for Givenchy Menswear
This story is taken from the Winter/Spring 2026 issue of Another Man, which is on sale internationally from October 30. Pre-order

 

[marines]

 

[marines]

 

[Lola701]

Don’t make Law Roach take ARIVENCHY to ARIALENCIAGA.

 

[FashionPower]

The first decent look I see from PPP Balenciaga so far BUT...it looks like her Loewe MET Gala gown knock off!

 

[cjwfr]

Don’t make Law Roach take ARIVENCHY to ARIALENCIAGA.

Thank you for this genius LOL

 

[Frederic01]

KARLA WELCH STYLIST

 

[Norden]

Im a hater. I really dislike anything he does. At balenciaga it’s amplified even more. Atleast at Valentino it was sandboxed. Its just so old and in bad taste.

 

[PDFSD]

Im a hater. I really dislike anything he does. At balenciaga it’s amplified even more. Atleast at Valentino it was sandboxed. Its just so old and in bad taste.

your not a hater you see it for what it is!!! not for what people /ppp want you to believe how good it is.
because objectively it old and basic even by conventional beauty standards of fashion.

people will say at least its not demna but, a work should stand on it own not only be better than the previously disliked work etc even if they are not the same type of designers even to compare against each other.

 

[Lola701]

Im a hater. I really dislike anything he does. At balenciaga it’s amplified even more. Atleast at Valentino it was sandboxed. Its just so old and in bad taste.

It’s the contrary for me. I don’t hate his work. I don’t like it. It just exists.
I have the same feelings towards his work as I had with Demna after a while and that I have with some designers like Pieter.

I feel like I can have strong reactions only when it’s a brand I used to buy from but after a while I just loose interest.

I find his work too safe. I know it can be reassuring for a lot of people but it’s like super safe to me. I like a designer who puts himself to risk, who is not afraid to challenge himself or the perception of the brand.

It’s too early to have a definitive opinion on his work but in general as a designer he is safe.

 

[PDFSD]

It’s the contrary for me. I don’t hate his work. I don’t like it. It just exists.
I have the same feelings towards his work as I had with Demna after a while and that I have with some designers like Pieter.

I feel like I can have strong reactions only when it’s a brand I used to buy from but after a while I just loose interest.

I find his work too safe. I know it can be reassuring for a lot of people but it’s like super safe to me. I like a designer who puts himself to risk, who is not afraid to challenge himself or the perception of the brand.

It’s too early to have a definitive opinion on his work but in general as a designer he is safe.

its safe true but now at balenciaga its also ugly the sharpness or attention to details are sloppy or forced styling to integrate old demna codes.
valentino was safe and more refined and easy beauty understood universally.

but ok and just existing we don't need in the overcrowded fashion market full of just existing brands , that's the nuance of the disappointment/anger even towards so many big brands.

 

[Lola701]

its safe true but now at balenciaga its also ugly the sharpness or attention to details are sloppy or forced styling to integrate old demna codes.
valentino was safe and more refined and easy beauty understood universally.

but ok and just existing we don't need in the overcrowded fashion market full of just existing brands , that's the nuance of the disappointment/anger even towards so many big brands.

He has a lot to undo and then to rebuild.
I hope the « trying to merge his 2 predecessors and the founder » in his work will evolve into him finding his voice.

The tension at Balenciaga has been for the past 25 years around a certain idea of classicism (Cristobal) and the urban sensibility of it creative director.

Valentino is quite specific. It’s a brand that has a sort of formality at all time.

Urban influences by PPP seems to be quite a stretch. I’m not sure doing a tshirt in leather or a hoodie in leather or an eveningwear in flip flops is enough today.

But we will see how things develop.

Next year, we should be able to have a view of what his Balenciaga will be about.

 

[PDFSD]

He has a lot to undo and then to rebuild.
I hope the « trying to merge his 2 predecessors and the founder » in his work will evolve into him finding his voice.

The tension at Balenciaga has been for the past 25 years around a certain idea of classicism (Cristobal) and the urban sensibility of it creative director.

Valentino is quite specific. It’s a brand that has a sort of formality at all time.

Urban influences by PPP seems to be quite a stretch. I’m not sure doing a shirt in leather or a hoodie in leather or an evening wear in flip flops is enough today.

But we will see how things develop.

Next year, we should be able to have a view of what his Balenciaga will be about.

Sorry Lola this guy is basic and with in Valentino sure which already is not a complex brand to design for as mr valentino style was about beauty and rich ladies and sure formality even if cristobal work is also formal.

At balenciaga we are dealing with cristobal who was a master in cut and restrain and bit more complex history to regenerate for a new time if one does not have a own personality like a NG or Demna to bring in the house.

He set out himself to piggy bank on the 2 predecessors merging in order to have easy /lazy points to reference and all this on kimono velvet flip flops, i have still eyes that work and can see well to not buy into that type of pinterest idea of designing its also 2025.

His valentino was already running dry, and if Balenciaga archives cant re energize you in your time leading up to start your job and you come out with this trash ..i will bet you it won't happen and therefor i guarantee you it's a Wang era 2.0 at Balenciaga.

Honestly most people don't know the real Balenciaga they know vintage ng balenciaga and demna ...so he does not have to be this kind humble gurur to merge those from the get go or at least be more smart about it in details not some reuse that are currently seen as tired.

I don't wait when a person shows you who they are believe them the first time.

Demna did not change so far from vetments to balenciaga also his gucci looks the same, Alessandro did not change, phoebe since her celine era did not change, hedi did to not really change, galliano did galliano at margiela, michael kors did michael at celine, Ng is doing ng at LV as he did at balenciaga etc etc

Praise when there is praise to be given, judgment on current last released work not hypothetical wishing i leave that to those that hired him

What i seen now so far is trash worse than his old valentino.

 

[chungkyekye]

might sound a bit cray cray but after some reflection - maybe pp should get sabato back to his team. They seem like they churn out better work together. Also after 1-2 years I can see the impact of their work a lot better even if its only through colours - the Valentino pink did incredibly well. Not avalanche but u can actually say it did well influence and retail.

Sabatos lime green was also a dark horse 👀 can't say about gucci since they can kind of launched him half heartedly but it's overall impact in the tricky down scenario is extremely strong. The interesting thing about it was how well it filtered down not only to other designers but also the masses and overall fashion consumption 👀

 

[yslforever]

might sound a bit cray cray but after some reflection - maybe pp should get sabato back to his team. They seem like they churn out better work together. Also after 1-2 years I can see the impact of their work a lot better even if its only through colours - the Valentino pink did incredibly well. Not avalanche but u can actually say it did well influence and retail.

Sabatos lime green was also a dark horse 👀 can't say about gucci since they can kind of launched him half heartedly but it's overall impact in the tricky down scenario is extremely strong. The interesting thing about it was how well it filtered down not only to other designers but also the masses and overall fashion consumption 👀

That would mean Kering re-hiring someone they fired, the optics I mean are like public self-humiliation.
If that’s their kink …

 

[chungkyekye]

That would mean Kering re-hiring someone they fired, the optics I mean are like public self-humiliation.
If that’s their kink …

Thats true! I did not consider that part at all

I do feel kind of bad for sabato in a way now - especially since I see the amount of money and low key influence generated from just his colour direction.

But OK it's not like he didn't get anything out of it 😂😂

 

[PDFSD]

Thats true! I did not consider that part at all

I do feel kind of bad for sabato in a way now - especially since I see the amount of money and low key influence generated from just his colour direction.

But OK it's not like he didn't get anything out of it 😂😂

what are you talking about 🤦‍♀️ money and low key influence with his color direction are you talking a bout phantom color of the year or what ?

the bratt green was there before him the ancora red was already a in color via many brands use of it ...the whole color thing started more with Lee doing bottega green , lets not forget we have hermes orange tiffany blue etc ......

there is no bone of authentic idea in ancora boys body , even whats sales at gucci is still Alessandro stuff with some rest product from his era the need time to phase out because guess what they are not selling well.

funny reading it but let's get back to reality on who we are talking about.
historically ancora boy collections at Valentino were the worst ones ..pre collections and men ones its a miracle he got the job in the first place