Published
July 8, 2026
No drama, yet a wave of enthusiasm swept across the central square of the Cité Internationale Universitaire on a sunny Wednesday morning. Smiles and tears played across the faces of around 50 artisans from Balenciaga’s ateliers, who descended the university steps alongside the house’s creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli, all dressed in white coats. They received a standing ovation. A collective finale that closed a creative showcase by the Italian designer, marking one of the highlights of Paris Haute Couture Week.
Following the poetic triumphs of Dior, Chanel, and Schiaparelli, the fashion world had been eagerly awaiting the haute couture union between Balenciaga and its creative director, who joined the house last summer. From this alliance emerged the house’s 55th couture collection: a 52‑look showcase combining Cristóbal Balenciaga’s original rigour with the Italian designer’s masterful interpretations. Drawing on his experience, Pierpaolo Piccioli did not get bogged down in a reverential approach to the Basque couturier’s legacy. Once all the international stars had arrived and the parasols could finally be closed, the cast- inclusive, as is the designer’s custom- took to the runway encircling a circular French garden.
And to set the tone, the first look did not feature a single trace of black, so emblematic of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s work. It comprised a white silk T‑shirt paired with loose‑fitting trousers in light beige wool. An orange balloon cape, embroidered with satin feathers and voluminous at the back, imposed its elegance from the outset. This was followed by a double‑faced white cashmere coat worn over a lilac silk georgette sleeveless top and orange‑hued wool trousers embroidered with organza petals.
“This coat was inspired by a 1961 evening gown silhouette designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga… But that was just the starting point,” the designer explained to FashionNetwork.com at the end of the show. “It then became a white cashmere coat lined with lace on the inside. It’s a traditional haute couture piece, yet crafted in the most innovative way. It took six months to make. We scanned the body and then created a mould. It looks very simple, but if you look closely, the cashmere is moulded around the body. As Brancusi said, ‘Simplicity is complexity resolved’; it is a point of arrival, not a point of departure.”
But it wasn’t all about simplicity on Wednesday. Quite the opposite, in fact. Balenciaga drew on its expertise in embroidery, featherwork, and metalwork, adding a technological layer with the use of 3D scans- particularly on its leather pieces- and a bio‑engineered silk called AMSilk, before leaning on the atelier’s prowess in cutting and construction to realise the sculptural propositions.
Balloon capes in black silk gazar seemed to float over the shoulders, while trousers, embroidered with black, pink, plum or lilac ostrich feathers, imparted a feline gait, and the long trains on dresses or capes in leather, gazar or silk muslin- sometimes bearing floral prints- exuded sensuality. The Italian designer and his teams also gave free rein to their explorations of volume.
“Cristóbal never allowed himself to be confined to a single silhouette; I couldn’t, after 50 years, go back and draw on something from the past. So I think we had to invent a new silhouette through cut and shape, and without any internal fabric or structure. Cristóbal was obsessed with the idea of movement, and he freed women from a great burden. For me, it was important to create new shapes for modern life but using the same method of cut engineering, working with volumes without adding any structures- nothing inside, no corset, nothing restrictive. Modern, yet haute couture. We have therefore developed numerous techniques. For example, the red dress, which looks like a very classic evening gown, is in fact constructed from a fused, fluid tailoring base, with no corset inside, just seams. To be able to break the rules, you first have to know them all. And, at the very end, you have to conceal the technique to achieve the magic and offer true beauty, which is emotional and personal.”
This magic surfaced repeatedly over the course of several months’ work: in a strapless dress of organza and multicoloured printed silk gazar embroidered with silk satin feathers; in a jumpsuit with a high, flared collar in dark‑purple wool‑and‑silk crêpe paired with burgundy lambskin gloves; and in an aniseed‑green bouclé tweed coat whose front rises like a high plastron yet reveals a bare back outlined with organza petals. The silhouettes grow richer still, yielding new textures in a silk gazar skirt covered with gathered pearl‑grey organza bias strips; an ensemble embroidered with rose‑quartz ostrich feathers, comprising a headdress covering the head and bust and a skirt in super silk taffeta; a trio comprising a balloon dress, a black silk bolero, and black leather opera gloves; and the impressive ivory silk‑and‑wool monastic dress, which appears to be cut in one piece with an immense train.
But the look that really caught the crowd’s attention was the ensemble worn by Gigi Hadid, her face veiled in a cloud of iridescent black cockerel feathers- at once a princess from a dark fairy tale and a modern woman in her wide cypress‑green wool trousers and petrol‑blue heels.
“The look Gigi wore exudes that sense of protection found in the traditional Basque costume that Cristóbal always worked on, and it is worn with trousers. But this piece was like a shawl of feathers. Very light. And it completely changed the feel and perception of the woman wearing it. She doesn’t feel constricted. On the contrary, it allows her to showcase her extravagance, that idea of self‑expression. Because that’s what couture is to me: it’s culture that allows you to express yourself. That’s what defines and shapes the spirit of the house.”
A spirit that resonated with an enthralled audience, notably including Luca de Meo, chief executive of Kering- which owns the fashion house- in the front row, flanked by footballer Hugo Ekitike and actress Lily Collins. A positive signal for Balenciaga, which, according to its managing director, Gianfranco Gianangeli, is set to continue showing during Haute Couture Week.
“The aim was to truly put the technical expertise of the atelier back at the heart of the project, and that is what we are proud of. It was also a challenge to bring this innovation- with AMSilk silk and haute couture- right into the heart of the atelier,” the executive told FashionNetwork.com. “Every project is a human adventure; you can’t create all this on your own. Not me, not Paolo, no one. This is all the more true in haute couture. We have this atelier, which embodies all the work for us, alongside the creative team developing a collection. But in reality, it’s much broader than that. As a company, it affects everyone across the organisation.” Backstage, the atelier teams hugged and congratulated one another, as if Balenciaga had won a World Cup match.
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