Pierpaolo Piccioli has unveiled his first haute couture collection for Balenciaga, drawing inspiration from Spanish golden age art and British sculptor Barbara Hepworth. The collection, presented in Paris during a heatwave, features sculptural silhouettes and a vibrant color palette that reimagines the house's heritage in Piccioli's own image.
Inspiration and Design Philosophy
Piccioli, who spent nine months working on the collection in Balenciaga's haute couture war room, plastered the space with images ranging from a 1961 Balenciaga dress to works by Zurbarán and Velázquez, as well as a monumental Hepworth pierced megalith. He described Balenciaga as "a philosopher for the way you feel in a dress." The house style, which emphasizes clothing that stands proud of the body, shares DNA with Hepworth's sculptures, with organic cocoon curves and bell shapes that allow air to circulate.
Show Details and Highlights
The collection debuted under a blistering Paris sun, making the airy, non-touching garments particularly appealing. An embroidered silk gazar bustier dress cantilevered out from the body, while a dense ostrich feather headpiece was less tempting in the heat. Piccioli brought his signature color sensibility from Valentino, with looks saturated in ultraviolet, aniseed, and lavender. A standout piece featured a vertical stack of three fuchsia puffballs—a bolero jacket over a bodice over a skirt—described as "like a giant fluorescent chess piece."
"Haute couture is a world with no maps," Piccioli said. "There are no limits on your imagination."
Modernization and Technology
Piccioli modernized historic made-to-measure methods using 3D body scanning technology, allowing clients' bodies to be scanned and garments digitally adjusted. However, he emphasized that the technology should remain invisible. "You don't want to know too much about the technique, it needs to be hidden so that all you see is the magic of a woman in a dress," he said. The collection included feathered, embroidered, and train-bearing trousers, reflecting that many women wear trousers today. "I didn't want it to be too distant from reality," Piccioli noted.
Armani Privé: Silvana Armani's Second Show
Silvana Armani, niece of the late Giorgio, presented her second Armani Privé haute couture show, moving more decisively into the driving seat. Her uncle's succession plan placed her in charge of womenswear, while Leo Dell'Orco leads menswear. Consistency and elegant restraint remain core values, but Silvana added personal touches. The little hats that Giorgio loved were banished—Silvana has admitted she never liked hats—and her own style, favoring trousers for evening, was reflected in a lineup where trouser suits outnumbered gowns.
