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Kering says Pierpaolo Piccioli will step down as Balenciaga’s creative director, a role he took in March 2025. The move comes as the luxury group reshapes its fashion houses and Balenciaga works through a challenging quarter; no successor has been confirmed.
Kering has announced that Pierpaolo Piccioli will step down as creative director of Balenciaga after less than two years in the role, adding a high-profile departure to the luxury group’s ongoing creative restructuring. The group has not confirmed who will succeed him, despite reports naming London-based designer Martine Rose as a possible replacement.
Piccioli took charge of the Paris fashion house in March 2025, after Demna left Balenciaga for Gucci. His appointment brought a couture-focused designer to a brand known for combining luxury fashion with streetwear and subversive visual codes. During his tenure, Piccioli sought to bring his approach to craftsmanship, shape and color into dialogue with the house’s existing identity.
Kering chief executive Luca de Meo announced the departure as the group undertakes a wider restructuring across its portfolio. The company linked Balenciaga’s recent trading challenges to the ongoing creative change, saying the house had faced a more difficult quarter while working through its transition and seeking to restore balance across the business.
De Meo praised Piccioli in a statement, calling him an “exceptional couturier and creative talent” and saying the group had “the greatest respect” for him. He said Kering’s ambition was to build on Balenciaga’s avant-garde spirit and heritage while continuing to push its creative boundaries. The announcement did not provide a departure date, explain the circumstances of the decision or name a successor.
A New Creative Direction for Balenciaga
The departure leaves Balenciaga facing another leadership change as it works to establish a stable direction and address business pressures. A creative director helps shape a house’s runway collections, campaigns and overall image, so the successor’s approach could affect how Balenciaga balances its couture heritage with the streetwear identity built up in recent years.
The change also matters beyond the house. Kering is revisiting leadership and creative direction across its fashion portfolio while navigating a difficult period for parts of the luxury market. Each appointment or exit can influence how the group positions its brands, although the announcement does not specify whether Piccioli’s departure is directly tied to sales performance. Kering’s comments link the difficult quarter to the creative transition, but do not give figures or identify the causes of the broader trading pressures.
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Piccioli’s Short Tenure at the House
Piccioli joined Balenciaga in March 2025, following Demna’s move to Gucci. His appointment marked a shift in creative leadership at a house whose recent identity had been closely associated with Demna’s provocative, streetwear-influenced work. Piccioli, an established couturier, brought a different design vocabulary and a focus on garments’ construction and movement.
Coverage of his work included a Fall 2026 couture debut that emphasized shape, color and movement. That collection offered an example of how he approached Balenciaga’s creative codes, but it does not establish how customers or the business as a whole received the change. Kering’s statement says the house was still working through its creative transition and seeking to restore balance; it provides no detailed financial breakdown in the supplied report.
The latest exit comes amid other reported changes at Kering brands, including departures at Saint Laurent and McQueen. The report identifies those moves as part of a period of change across the group, but provides no further detail about their circumstances or any connection between them and Piccioli’s departure.
““Balenciaga faced a more challenging quarter as the House continued to work through its creative transition and to restore balance across its business.””
— Kering
Successor and Exit Details Pending
Balenciaga and Kering have not confirmed a successor. The report says Martine Rose has reportedly been tapped for the role, but it attributes this only as a report and offers no confirmation from the designer, the house or the group. Her appointment should not be treated as established.
The announcement also leaves open when Piccioli will leave, what role he may take next and whether the departure was his decision or part of a broader management plan. Kering has not supplied sales figures, a detailed explanation of the quarter it described as challenging, or a forecast for Balenciaga’s business. Those details are not established by the available report.
Awaiting Kering’s Successor Announcement
The next significant development would be a formal announcement from Kering or Balenciaga naming the next creative director and setting out when the change takes effect. Until then, reports about a possible replacement remain unconfirmed. The house may also provide more detail about how it plans to carry forward its creative direction, though no such announcement is cited in the report.
For now, the confirmed development is Piccioli’s departure. Kering’s stated aim is to maintain Balenciaga’s avant-garde identity while honoring its heritage, but how that goal will translate into collections, leadership and business strategy remains to be seen.
Key Questions
Is Pierpaolo Piccioli leaving Balenciaga?
Yes. Kering announced that Piccioli will step down as creative director after less than two years in the role. The report does not give an effective date.
Who is reported to be replacing Piccioli?
Martine Rose has been reported as a possible successor, but Kering and Balenciaga have not confirmed her appointment. The report treats the information as unconfirmed.
When did Piccioli become Balenciaga’s creative director?
Piccioli took the role in March 2025, after Demna left Balenciaga for Gucci.
Why is Piccioli leaving?
Kering announced his departure but did not provide a specific reason. The group said Balenciaga faced a more challenging quarter while working through its creative transition, but it did not say that this was the reason for Piccioli’s exit.
Source: hypebeast.com
