Pierpaolo Piccioli Leaves Balenciaga After 16 Months; Successor Due Shortly
Pierpaolo Piccioli is leaving Balenciaga after 16 months as creative director, the person who sets the look of a fashion house's collections. Kering, the luxury group that owns Balenciaga, said the new creative direction will be announced shortly.
Piccioli joined the Paris house in July 2025. His first collection as creative director was Summer 26, the range shown for the warmer months. He later made his haute couture debut for Balenciaga in July. Haute couture is the made-to-measure top tier of fashion, and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode decides which labels may use the term.
Balenciaga released a first campaign under Piccioli's direction in October 2025. It presented a woman defined by quiet strength, sensitivity and self-possession.
He took over from Demna, who designed the brand for nearly 10 years before him. Balenciaga is run by Gianfranco Gianangeli, its president and chief executive. Kering is led by Luca de Meo, its chief executive.
Piccioli's career has included long stretches at a single house. He spent 25 years at Valentino, the Italian label, and left it in March 2024. Valentino said at the time that it had agreed with him to end their collaboration. He worked there alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri, and she is now creative director of Fendi, the Italian house known for its handbags and furs.
Kering has not given a reason for his departure in the statement that announced it, and no date has been set for the next creative director. The company has said only that an announcement will come soon.
For the people who make the clothes, the change of creative lead is one step in a longer chain. A new designer usually brings new samples, new fabric orders and new workshop schedules, which means factories and suppliers often feel a leadership change well before the shop floor sees a new look. Those supply arrangements are not part of this announcement.
Piccioli's exit is the second time in recent years that a senior creative figure has moved on from a major Kering house. The next name will show what direction the brand takes after a short tenure.
