Balenciaga. Spring/Summer 2026 - Paris Fashion Week

This is the first Pierpaolo Piccioli debut collection for Balenciaga, with Demna Gvasalia already revealing his debut for Gucci at Spring/Summer 2026 in Milan, being less of a switch of creative directors, but more of a rebranding of the main brands under the Kering banner. However, the switch that has occured, is the former designer for Gucci, Alessandro Michele as Valentino's new creative director, with Piccioli's sleek, modernist, couture inspired Valentino tenure from 2016 to 2024, now fusing with Demna's antithesis backlash looks for Balenciaga, and Michele's thrift, mix and match stylizations for Valentino, you would be forgiven to feel slightly confused what the outcomes will be.

And how similar and dissimilar each designer will offer to their said designs, after spending over 5 years with each of their former brands, building a style portfolio, it is an unknown. But, undoubtedly they have left an imprint, which has to be, either redefined or removed all together. A big ask, particularly in the world of conglomerate owned fashion houses, who look at share prices, rather than styles, as precursors to move a creative director along or keep them. So the key question in relation to Demna's 10 year run with Balenciaga, to be replaced by Piccioli's, as mentioned, modernist boxer shapes, is: Can he raise Demna's already high bar?

Piccioli appears to be looking to merge both a redefining and removing of Demna's imprint for his debut Spring/Summer 2026 collection, drawing it all right back to simplicity, with Piccioli's mod-esque touch, with only Demna's exaggerated sunglasses as the last remaining element to the Georgian designer legacy to Balenciaga. And overall, Piccioli's collection feels flat, and dare I say, uninspiring, in his continuation of the Balenciaga brand name.

And yes, you may want to buy a pair of Demna's Balenciaga destroyed, post modern styled sneakers and throwback streetwear ala 1990s East Europe rave styles. As, his famed stylization for Balenciaga maybe achieved forever, unless his original brand Vetements, and his brother Guram, have him return.

Maybe?

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(A.Glass 2025)