Pierpaolo Piccioli is the next creative director of Balenciaga, parent company Kering announced Monday.
Piccioli will step into the role on July 10. He succeeds Demna Gvasalia, who left in March to become artistic director of Gucci, a fellow Kering-owned house.
Balenciaga’s first collection under Piccioli’s direction will be presented in October.
Piccioli left his role as creative director of Valentino in March 2024. He had been with the fashion house since 1999 and spent eight years at the design helm.
In the release, Kering said Piccioli will bring his “unique creative vision” to the brand while building on the legacy of Demna and the house’s founder, Cristóbal Balenciaga.
Balenciaga joins a cohort of luxury brands that will soon be under new creative leadership, including Dior Men, Versace and Jil Sander.
Piccioli’s appointment comes at a time when Kering’s financial results have consistently declined. The company’s total revenue fell 14% year over year in Q1 to 3.9 billion euros, or about $4.4 billion.
