On 13 March, Kering announced Demna (the decade-long creative director of Balenciaga) as the upcoming creative director for Gucci. The internal move—both brands are owned by Kering—was a rather surprising one given Demna's strong hold on the Balenciaga aesthetic that he's honed and crafted, one that relies quite heavily on attention-grabbing and often polarising designs. Be that as it may, Demna's Balenciaga remains talked about, with a strong following among fans.
The seat for the creative head of Balenciaga, however, technically won't be vacant. Pierpaolo Piccioli has just been announced as the new creative director succeeding Demna. As it stands, Demna is set to depart for Gucci sometime in July after his final couture show for Balenciaga; Piccioli will officially take over as creative director on 10 July. The New York Times' Vanessa Friedman reports that there's set to be an overlap of a month for the two.
In a press statement released by Kering, Francesca Bellettini, deputy CEO in charge of brand development says: “I couldn’t be happier to welcome Pierpaolo to the Group. He is one of the most talented and celebrated designers of today. His mastery of haute couture, his creative voice, and his passion for savoir-faire made him the ideal choice for the House."
Piccioli's tenure at Valentino—where he had spent 25 years in total, including seven as co-creative director and eight as sole creative director—is a well-respected one. Designing everything from menswear to womenswear to couture for both men and women, Piccioli's otherworldly creations for the House was consistent across all universes. Most importantly, they were not recreations of the House's archives, but rather, modern evolutions of the Valentino spirit. Piccioli is said to be bringing a similar approach to Balenciaga.
In the same The New York Times report, Piccioli was quoted as saying: "I don’t want to deny the past but to embrace the past, to build a new future. I don’t want to cancel what has been, because a house is made by lots of people. This is a chance to change the rules from the inside, give a different image of fashion and of designers, of creative directors, because we respect each other." Piccioli also refers to his appointment as a "passing of the torch" in the official press statement. There's also said to be no immediate plans for a complete visual overhaul of Balenciaga's existing stores as well as removing any traces of Balenciaga designs prior to his time. In short, Piccioli will not be doing an Hedi Slimane.
It does seem that Piccioli's vision of Balenciaga will be a slow transition from Demna's. We don't anticipate that he will continue Demna's more grungier, streetwear-leaning nuances but would perhaps offer a smoother sway into a Balenciaga that focuses more on craft and tailoring. The only way to be certain is to witness Piccioli's official debut for the House that is now scheduled for October during the Paris Fashion Week womenswear calendar.
