Balenciaga names Pierpaolo Piccioli artistic director as vogue homes’ artistic upheaval continues | Balenciaga

Pierpaolo Piccioli has been named artistic director of famend French couture home Balenciaga, the newest in a collection of strikes throughout the higher echelons of the style trade. The appointment follows the departure of controversial former artistic director Denma to Gucci in March.

Underneath Denma, Balenciaga turned identified for a “memecore” method to excessive vogue, creating novelty clothes from towel skirts to purses formed like espresso cups. Piccolli’s appointment suggests a shift away from this method on the revered vogue home, which was based by Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1919.

At his earlier function at Valentino – which he held from 2008 to 2024 – Piciolli was identified for mushy, female and stylish designs.

Each Balenciaga and Gucci are owned by one of many world’s largest luxurious conglomerates, Kering, which additionally owns Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Alexander McQueen.

In an announcement, newly appointed Balenciaga CEO Gianfranco Gianangeli stated: “I’m excited to start this new period at Balenciaga with Pierpaolo. His artistic imaginative and prescient will thrive, and he’ll completely interpret the legacy of Cristóbal Balenciaga, constructing on the Home’s daring creativity, wealthy heritage and robust tradition.”

Piccioli stated the function, “offers me the prospect to form a brand new model of the Maison, including one other chapter with a brand new story”. His first assortment for Balenciaga will debut in October 2025.

The change is one among many throughout the style trade in current months. At rival conglomerate LVMH, longtime Loewe designer JW Anderson moved to a menswear function at Dior in April.

In January, Louise Trotter took the helm at Kering-owned Bottega Veneta, after Matthieu Blazy left the place for an inventive director function at Chanel.

Prior to now yr, there have additionally been new appointments at Dries van Noten, Tom Ford, Givenchy and Calvin Klein.

The shake-up happens in opposition to a downturn within the luxurious items trade. In 2024, Kering’s income fell by 12% whereas rival LVMH recorded a 1% annual dip.

Underneath Denma, Balenciaga by no means did not generate headlines, however not all have been optimistic. In 2023, the model was pressured to problem an apology after a marketing campaign that featured teddy bears wearing bondage-style leather-based harnesses, an argument from which some analysts consider the model by no means absolutely recovered.

Nonetheless, Denma’s transfer to Gucci – a model 4 instances the scale – was a promotion for the designer.

In an announcement, Francesca Bellettini, Kering deputy CEO thanked Denma for “the daring, distinctive imaginative and prescient he delivered to Balenciaga over the previous ten years”.

“I’m satisfied that Pierpaolo and Gianfranco will lead Balenciaga completely by means of this essential new chapter of its exceptional historical past,” she stated.