LONDON — Pierpaolo Piccioli, who joined Balenciaga as creative director in July 2025, is leaving after just 16 months, following mixed reviews of his collections and widespread rumors that he was headed for the door.
Gianfranco Gianangeli, president and CEO of Balenciaga, said Thursday: “We are deeply grateful for Pierpaolo’s contribution to Balenciaga. Through his vision, he reaffirmed the couture origins of the house, bringing his considered approach to craftsmanship, construction and creativity. I would like to sincerely thank him for his dedication, generosity and collaboration.”
Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering, described the designer as “an exceptional couturier and creative talent for whom we have the greatest respect. Our ambition is to build on Balenciaga’s avant-garde spirit, honor its remarkable heritage and continue to push creative boundaries, further establishing the house as a powerful and relevant voice.”
Kering said the new creative direction of Balenciaga will be announced shortly.
Piccioli spent much of his career at Valentino, earning rave reviews for his solo designs, and the ones he made alongside his former creative partner Maria Grazia Chiuri, now creative director of Fendi.
While his handful of collections for Balenciaga featured some beautiful pieces, it became clear he was not the man for the job under Kering’s new CEO de Meo, who has been shaking up the management and creative heads of the brands.
It is also understood that Kering wants to take Balenciaga back to its edgier, and less romantic, Demna days. Demna designed the brand for nearly 10 years, turning out sharp-edged, streetwise collections and courting controversy with his ad campaigns.
A seasoned and accomplished couturier, Piccioli made his high-fashion debut at Balenciaga in July, one year after arriving at the French house after a long, glorious career at Valentino in Rome.
“I really get that idea of Cristóbal Balenciaga: that a couturier has to be a sculptor, or architect for the shapes, has to be a painter for the colors, a philosopher for how people feel in your clothes. All of this is something that I can take inspiration from,” he told WWD earlier this year.
“But in a way, it also has to be very personal; I’ve learned to react in a very instinctive way,” he added.
In that couture show, Piccioli took Balenciaga couture to the streets, opting for an open-air, midday display at the Cité Universitaire, an idyllic university campus and private park in the 14th arrondissement.
“I wanted to have couture related to the moment,” he said. “You will see the collection paraded in this formal garden… It makes it more real in a way; it’s more related to life.”