excerpt: Balenciaga. Couture 2026 - Paris

 

"Pierpaolo Piccioli's 1st couture showing since taking the reins of Balenciaga from Demna Gsvalia, who was, after 10 years with the iconic brand name, able to muster up five couture shows.  And Piccioli being no stranger to couture, with 30 shows under his own belt when he was once the creative director for Valentino, which, in my opinion, the Italian designer excelled and mastered the craft with a grand finesse. 

And while Demna reworked couture as an anti-fashion backlash, extending his Vetements-esque injoke of Eastern European 1990s back alley raves and exaggerated street wear silhouettes, although he has now toned down quite considerably now with Gucci, Piccioli has shown how a postmodern sleekness can actually work under his current tenure with Balenciaga..." 

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Full review: chiasmusmagazine.blogspot.com/2026/07/balenciaga-couture-2026-paris.html

(A.Glass 2026)