Pierpaolo Piccioli leaves Balenciaga after 16 months, Kering to name successor

The exit

Kering confirmed on Thursday, 5 November, that Pierpaolo Piccioli is leaving the creative direction of Balenciaga, the Spanish house owned by the French luxury group. The Italian designer, who previously worked as creative director of Valentino, spent 16 months at the label. During that time he presented four collections, one of them haute couture. He had been brought in to succeed Demna and to return the house's couture heritage to the centre of its work. The group said a new creative director will be announced shortly, and the departure comes about a month after Anthony Vaccarello left Saint Laurent, another Kering brand.

Reactions from Kering and the designer

Luca de Meo, chief executive of Kering, praised the designer and said the group intends to keep the house's avant-garde spirit alive. He added:

“Pierpaolo is an exceptional designer and a creative talent, for whom we have the utmost respect.”

Gianfranco Gianangeli, president and chief executive of Balenciaga, thanked Piccioli for his dedication, generosity and collaboration. In a long Instagram post, Piccioli reflected on the couture roots of his work and on a shared dream that the team had believed in. His farewell post opened with this line:

“They will tell you not to shine, and you shine instead.”

The post closed by saying that every chapter exists to open the way to the next.

Sales under Piccioli

The parent company described the plan as combining the delicacy of Piccioli's work with a younger audience. Sales recovered slightly in early 2026, helped by new accessories and the return of the Le City Moto bag, before falling again in the following quarters, with ready-to-wear particularly weak. Kering does not break out annual sales by brand. Group sales fell 1% in the third quarter, while other group labels such as Gucci and Bottega Veneta have grown. Piccioli presented his final show in Paris in October.

Predecessor and successor

Piccioli succeeded Demna, who spent about a decade at Balenciaga and gave the house its oversized silhouettes. According to El País, Demna's shadow over the house was too long for his successor, and Piccioli had earlier described Cristóbal Balenciaga as his hero in an interview. No successor has been named yet. Rumours point to Martine Rose, who worked with Demna at Balenciaga, and to Glenn Martens of Maison Margiela. When asked about the exit, Kering's leadership declined to comment. A commentary in Il Sole 24 Ore argues that responsibility is shared, since Kering's houses now operate collectively with the chief executive as the main figure.

Wider changes in the group

Vaccarello led Saint Laurent for 10 years before leaving in October. The same month saw Veronica Leoni leave Calvin Klein and Sean McGirr leave Alexander McQueen, which also belongs to Kering. Piccioli's exit adds to a run of creative departures across the group, and the incoming director will take over a label whose sales have been uneven since his arrival.