Few designers believe in romance quite like Pierpaolo Piccioli. His first and highly anticipated couture outing for Balenciaga was a sweeping reminder of why. Presented today on the picturesque grounds of the Cité internationale universitaire, the collection was a true love letter to the couture métier in every sense. Since taking the helm at Balenciaga more than a year ago, the designer has flexed his range with a Euphoria collaboration and a recent wellness-focused techwear line—but in Paris, he reminded us where his true strength lies.
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From a plum fringe skirt paired with a sheer lavender blouse to a strong-shouldered lemon-yellow sequined gown that glowed in the afternoon sun, the message was clear: Romance is best rendered in living colour. At Valentino, hue was never an afterthought for Piccioli—PP Pink proved as much—and that instinct endured today.
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The collection deftly wove in the elevated yet accessible ready-to-wear vocabulary Piccioli has established at Balenciaga.
A pristinely tailored white dress, its neckline mimicking that of a classic T-shirt, was given an indie-sleaze twist with a sparkling City bag. Technical trenches with exaggerated collars were buttoned just enough to reveal the hem of a feather-trimmed evening dress, while a crisp white button-down slipped effortlessly off the shoulder, elevated with opera gloves and a floor-length skirt spliced with fringe.
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Still, while the saturated palette and languid silhouettes bore Piccioli’s unmistakable signature, he threaded the collection with subtle homages to house founder Cristóbal Balenciaga.
Gigi Hadid made a surprise runway appearance—her first since February—in pleated trousers and a black chou top crowned with a sculptural, rose-like collar that framed the neck and shoulders. Yai reappeared to close the show in a striking trapeze wedding gown, its architectural silhouette drawn from the spring/summer 1967 collection.
In the show notes, Piccioli emphasized that his debut was as much about the people who made it as the clothes themselves. “This collection is the result of the work of the people in the atelier,” he wrote. “Human beings who are couture—because couture is made by the people who live it.”
As the final look disappeared backstage, Piccioli emerged for his bow to a standing ovation. He was flanked, of course, by his petites mains.
This article was first seen on ELLE US.