Pierpaolo Piccioli has left Balenciaga less than 16 months after becoming its creative director. Parent company Kering announced his departure on November 5 and named Martine Rose as his successor the following day.
The Italian designer, 59, officially started on July 10, 2025, succeeding Demna, who moved to Gucci. His appointment had been announced that May.
The change follows the October departures of Anthony Vaccarello from Saint Laurent and Seán McGirr from Alexander McQueen. Both fashion houses also belong to Kering.
In its October 22 trading update, the group described Balenciaga’s leather-goods business as resilient while clothing and footwear remained challenged. It identified renewing Balenciaga and McQueen as priorities.
Kering Praises Piccioli’s Couture Work Without Explaining His Exit
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Balenciaga CEO Gianfranco Gianangeli credited Piccioli with reaffirming the house’s couture origins and highlighted his approach to garment construction. Kering CEO Luca de Meo called him “an exceptional couturier and creative talent.” Neither executive gave a reason for the split.
Piccioli came to the job after 25 years at Valentino. He joined that company in 1999, became co-creative director with Maria Grazia Chiuri in 2008 and took sole charge in 2016. His departure from the Italian house was announced in March 2024.
Piccioli Thanks His Team in a Personal Instagram Farewell
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After Kering’s announcement, Piccioli shared photographs from Balenciaga’s couture salons on Avenue George V in Paris, including behind-the-scenes images from his Fall 2026 couture collection. His message reflected on the people and values that had guided his work.
“Couture requires time and attention; it demands conviction and courage,” he wrote, in comments reported by AFP. He described learning his craft through observing, making and listening, and the importance of remaining true to his identity.
“We believed in a dream,” Piccioli wrote in the longer message reproduced by Whoopsee. He thanked the people who had worked beside him, closing with an encouragement: “And, despite everything, keep shining. Always.”
His Final Runway Show Brought Color and Softer Shoes to Balenciaga
Piccioli presented Summer 2027 at the Tennis Club de Paris on October 1. Against a bright white set, pink and cobalt jackets appeared with white trousers and ripped jeans, while evening looks included flowing orange and pale pink gowns, as Reuters documented.
The footwear included thong sandals and the soft Lounge Sneaker, rather than the bulky sneakers associated with Demna’s collections. Other looks paired a white lace dress and feathered skirt with combat boots, or covered an orange dress in organza flowers. Piccioli’s show notes emphasized comfort and how the garments felt in motion.
It was his third ready-to-wear presentation for the house, following his October 2025 debut and March 2026 collection. His first Balenciaga haute couture show took place in July, as 10 Magazine documented.
Reviewing the October collection, Vogue critic Sarah Mower described the challenge of reconciling Cristóbal Balenciaga’s couture legacy with Demna’s streetwear influence. She also noted moments, particularly in eveningwear, when Piccioli asserted his own identity.
Martine Rose Returns After Helping Shape Balenciaga’s Menswear
Rose worked as a menswear consultant for Balenciaga from 2015 to 2018. Alongside Demna, she helped develop the exaggerated proportions that became a recognizable part of the brand’s clothing.
The British-Jamaican designer founded her London label in 2007. Her work draws on British football and music subcultures, and she has collaborated with Nike, Supreme and Clarks, according to The Business of Fashion.
In the appointment announcement, Rose said she intended to honor the work of the designers who preceded her. She will be based in Paris and begins her new role on November 16, 2026.